Lionel Messi has once again rewritten the history books.

The Argentine superstar delivered a breathtaking performance as the reigning world champions opened their title defence with a commanding victory over Algeria, scoring a hat-trick that moved him into a tie for the most goals ever scored in World Cup history.

On a night filled with milestones, Messi’s brilliance took center stage.

Making his 200th appearance for Argentina and competing at a record sixth World Cup tournament, the veteran forward produced his first-ever World Cup hat-trick to lift his finals goal tally to 16, drawing level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the competition’s all-time leading scorer.

Champions tested before finding their rhythm

The victory was not as comfortable as the final score suggested.

Argentina entered the Kansas City Stadium carrying the pressure of defending the title they won in Qatar, with history against them. The three-time world champions were attempting to become only the third nation to successfully defend the World Cup crown.

They also carried another unwanted record.

Argentina had never previously won its opening match at a World Cup tournament as defending champions, suffering defeats in 1982 and 1990.

That difficult history appeared to matter little once Messi found his moment.

Messi opens the door with a moment of brilliance

The match exploded into action from the opening whistle, with both teams creating chances and having goals ruled out during a frantic opening spell.

Argentina initially thought they had taken the lead earlier, only for the effort to be cancelled.

Algeria also saw a goal disallowed just minutes later as the contest immediately became a high-pressure battle.

Then came the moment only Messi could produce.

In the 17th minute, the Argentine captain collected possession from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul before creating space and curling a magnificent strike beyond goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of French football legend Zinedine Zidane.

His third goal marked another chapter in Messi’s extraordinary World Cup story.

It was his 16th World Cup goal, exactly two decades after he scored his first against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006.

A record-breaking night for Argentina’s captain

Messi’s impact extended far beyond the scoreboard.

At 38 years old, just days away from his 39th birthday, he became the first player to appear at six World Cups.

He also claimed another record previously associated with his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo by becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick at the tournament.

The performance answered questions surrounding Messi’s decision to continue playing international football after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.

Rather than simply extending his career, he showed he remains determined to chase another championship.

Second-half explosion seals the victory

Algeria continued to compete aggressively, but Argentina eventually found the decisive moments.

The champions doubled their advantage around the hour mark when Messi capitalized on a costly mistake from Zidane, reacting quickly to score from close range.

With Argentina firmly in control, Messi saved his best moment for last.

In the 76th minute, he received the ball from Nicolas Gonzalez before unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area.

The shot flew into the net, completing his first World Cup hat-trick and sealing a statement victory.

Argentina’s dream of back-to-back glory begins

The win places Argentina in a strong position in Group J as they continue their pursuit of another world title.

Their next challenges will come against Austria and Jordan, with the spotlight certain to remain fixed on their captain.

After matching Klose’s record, Messi appears poised to claim the outright scoring record if he continues his remarkable form.

Few would doubt that the world will again be watching when Argentina returns to action against Austria.

At 38, Messi is proving that the greatest chapters of his career may not yet be finished.