Twenty years to the day after he made his unforgettable World Cup debut, Lionel Messi added another unprecedented chapter to his already legendary career on Tuesday, delivering a masterclass performance that powered defending champion Argentina to a dominant 3-0 opening win over Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Beyond securing a critical three points to kick off Argentina’s title defense, the historic hat-trick — the first of Messi’s decades-long World Cup career — pulled the 38-year-old even with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the all-time leading goal scorer in men’s World Cup history, with 16 tournament goals overall. The milestone capped a chaotic lead-up for the Argentine captain, who entered the match facing lingering fitness questions just weeks after an early substitution due to muscle fatigue in his final Inter Miami MLS outing before the tournament. What left fans and teammates stunned, however, was the raw emotion Messi displayed moments after netting his first goal of the night. Just 18 minutes into the match, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner curled a stunning strike into the back of the net, and after celebrating with swarming teammates, cameras caught him wiping tears from his face with the hem of his jersey. In post-match comments, Messi revealed the emotion stemmed from a personal struggle completely separate from the sport. “I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it,” the captain explained. “Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football.” Tuesday’s match marked Messi’s 200th cap for the Argentine national team, and it also cemented another unprecedented first in World Cup history: he is now the only player to ever compete in six editions of the tournament, two decades to the day after he first took the World Cup stage as a teen prospect, where he notched a goal in Argentina’s 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro. Beyond the individual records, the win carried historic weight for Argentina as well. It marks the first time the side have opened their World Cup campaign with a victory as defending champions, after opening defeats in both the 1982 and 1990 tournaments. After 80 minutes of electric play that had the crowd at Kansas City Stadium on its feet, Messi was substituted to a raucous standing ovation, with fans chanting his name echoing through the arena. Reflecting on the whirlwind moment, Messi sounded content and grateful for the milestone, capping a journey that has defined one of the greatest careers in football history. “It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way. What I’m living through now is the cherry on top. I’m very happy and grateful for this wonderful group, I enjoy it so much,” he added. For his teammates, the performance put to rest any outside speculation that Argentina could thrive better without their aging leader. Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was unequivocal in his praise after the final whistle: “There are no words to describe him. If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true. He is our most important player. We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it.” Now, Argentina turn their focus to their second Group J matchup, scheduled for next Monday, June 22 against Austria, kicking off at 18:00 BST. For Messi and his side, the opening win has put them in strong position to pursue an unprecedented back-to-back World Cup title — only the third nation in history to ever defend the men’s World Cup crown, a goal that would add yet another legendary milestone to Messi’s already unparalleled career. It was back in 2022 Qatar that Messi finally claimed the one major trophy that had eluded him throughout his career, lifting the World Cup for the first time and cementing his legacy as the greatest player of his generation. Now, 16 tournament goals and six World Cup appearances later, he is once again just a few wins away from adding another chapter to that story.