Messi scores hat trick in Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria

Argentina began its 2026 World Cup title defense with a 3-0 victory over Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16, led by Lionel Messi's historic hat trick. Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a long-range shot and followed with goals in the 60th and 76th minutes, bringing his total World Cup goals to 16, tying the record held by Miroslav Klose. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, present for the match, expressed his admiration for Messi via social media, showcasing three goat emojis in response to Messi’s performance. Argentina's next match is against Austria on June 22, where Messi has the potential to break the all-time World Cup scoring record.

• 3:33 AMYahoo Sports — Patrick Mahomes uses 3 emojis to describe Lionel Messi's World Cup opener