Messi hat-trick powers Argentina past Algeria in World Cup opener

Lionel Messi delivered a masterclass on his 200th international appearance, scoring a hat-trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening match of the World Cup in Kansas City.

The 38-year-old, playing at his sixth consecutive World Cup, equalled Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16 goals in the tournament. Messi's three goals were his first hat-trick at a World Cup, and he became the first player to feature in six editions of the competition.

Record-equalling performance

Messi opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a curling left-footed strike from 25 yards that beat goalkeeper Luca Zidane despite his touch. He added two more goals in the second half to seal an emphatic win for the reigning champions.

• Scored first World Cup hat-trick of his career
• Equalled Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals
• First player to appear at six different World Cups
• Marked his 200th international appearance with a hat-trick
• Argentina began the tournament with a dominant win

After the match, Messi said: 'To enjoy this with my family, with my team-mates, is a really beautiful moment. The squad is a very united, very strong group. It's important to start off with a win.' Head coach Lionel Scaloni added: 'I don't have the words to describe Messi. For 20 years, he's had us used to seeing things like this.'

The result puts Argentina top of their group as they aim to defend their World Cup title. Messi's form will be crucial as the tournament progresses, with the next fixture offering another chance to break the all-time scoring record outright.