Lionel Messi once again stole the spotlight as Argentina began their World Cup title defence with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria, inspired by a brilliant hat-trick from their captain.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner rolled back the years to produce one of the standout performances of the tournament, scoring the first World Cup hat-trick of his career and drawing level with Miroslav Klose as the competition's joint-highest scorer.
With his 39th birthday just days away, Messi showed no signs of slowing down. Sharp, decisive and influential throughout the match, he tormented the Algerian defence and once again demonstrated why he remains the driving force behind the world champions.
Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were left in awe of Messi's performance, with Henry praising his former teammate and Argentina as defending champions.
“We said before the game that this guy (Messi) and the guy we are going to see tomorrow (Ronaldo) are both on the moon. He reminded us why he is who he is and Argentina also reminded us why they are the holders and let’s not forget about them. But Leo is just different,” Henry said.
Ibrahimovic also praised Messi, saying, “I don’t believe we will get another Messi, because he’s special. He’s natural. It’s like the game was built for him. Everything he touches becomes gold. And he has a team that is ready to die for him. Him winning another World Cup will not change his status as the greatest. It’s just another trophy in the trophy room.”
