Oh Messi! Hat-trick from the magician gives Argentina 3-0 win in World Cup opener

It was meant to be him. Messi. Leo Messi. The man who delivered Argentina their third FIFA World Cup title in 2022 scored thrice against Algeria to kick off their title defence.

The World Champions defeated the African side 3-0 in their Group J opener at the Kansas City Stadium.

Messi netted in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes, the first with his blessed left foot and the second, a simple tap-in, with his right. The third? Well, just another Messi thing.

Argentina repeatedly looked toward their talisman for inspiration, and the third strike came at the end of a smart build-up that involved substitute Nico Gonzalez, who exploited space on the left flank and found Messi in the middle, a territory unsafe for any side defending against the man with a wand of a left foot.

Messi elegantly passed into the bottom right corner of the Algerian goal to complete his first World Cup hat-trick. He scored twice in the final against France in the 2022 edition. Now at 38, turning 39 in a week, Messi has bettered himself.

His first goal -- no, call it a Golazo -- had also been netted in typical Messi style, but with venom, the kind you expect from a World Champion, kicking off his campaign. The iconic No 10 collected the ball in the middle, and Algeria were guilty of providing space and time to the most dangerous man in such a situation.

Messi surged forward to the edge of the box and unleashed a left-foot curler. There was enough power in the shot that even with a pair of firm hands from a certain Luca 'Zidane', son of the legendary Zinedine, in the Algerian goal, the ball nestled in the back of the net.

The second goal came at a time when the Algerians were trying to get inventive. Lionel Scaloni had made three changes to shake off the rustiness in his Argentine game plan. But it was Messi again who manufactured the second strike by spreading the ball wide and waltzing into the area.

Did Messi anticipate a spill as Alexis Mac Allister shaped to shoot from range? Maybe he did, that's what all good players do, right? After all, Messi is not simply good, he's great!

Zidane could not hold on to a powerful strike from the Liverpool man, and Messi was at the right place to turn it in. He was denied a hat-trick five minutes later by Zidane. But there's still time.

Algeria were not shy, just not too expressive. Initially, they kept their defensive shape at least in the centre, wary of the threat Messi poses in counterattacks. But Argentina’s wide men stretched the Algerian wall wide, opening up pockets inside, willfully exploited by the man who needs no invitation to sneak into one.

Toward the end of the first half, Algeria's exciting attackers Amine Gouiri and Anis Hadj Moussa dribbled into the box from either side, but could not find an opening. Algeria had been denied a goal earlier by VAR intervention, just as Argentina had, for offside. But that was the best they managed all night. Sometimes there is no shame in losing to greatness. Just take a bow.