Lionel Messi enjoyed a night to remember as Argentina opened the defence of their World Cup title with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria. The 38-year-old delivered a hat-trick in Kansas City, marking his record sixth World Cup appearance in style and moving level with Miroslav Klose on 16 goals as the tournament's joint-highest scorer. However, while Messi's performance dominated the headlines, much of the conversation online centred on a controversial incident in the first half.
The Argentinian captain escaped punishment after a challenge on Algeria defender Aissa Mandi, prompting accusations from some supporters that he had been treated differently because of his status. Despite the debate surrounding the incident, Messi continued to dictate proceedings and ultimately ensured Argentina began their latest World Cup campaign with a convincing victory. His landmark appearance, historic goalscoring achievement, and the reaction to the contentious challenge combined to make it one of the most talked-about matches of the tournament so far.
Messi's challenge on Aissa Mandi became a major talking point
Messi thought he had given Argentina an early lead when he found the net inside the opening 10 minutes, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
The setback proved only temporary. By the 17th minute, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner had put Argentina ahead. A trademark run ended with a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area that beat Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane.
Argentina appeared to be in complete control, but attention soon shifted away from the scoreline. Just after the half-hour mark, Messi's studs scraped down the calf of Algeria defender Aissa Mandi. Mandi immediately went to the ground following the challenge, but referee Szymon Marciniak decided not to show a card. The VAR officials also declined to intervene.
The decision sparked strong reactions from supporters on social media. One user wrote: 'This doesn't look good for football, Messi getting away with an obvious red card on the world stage is a disgrace.'
Another posted: 'That should have easily been a red card. Expect the same with Ronaldo. It's going to be rigged for them to play against each other.' A third fan commented: 'Can't believe he got no card for this challenge.'
Another added: 'This was criminal, any other player is getting sent off.' A fifth supporter wrote: 'Messi didn't get a red card because he is the son of FIFA.'
Despite the criticism, play continued without further action being taken against the Argentina captain, allowing him to remain on the pitch and continue influencing the match.
Messi's hat-trick put him alongside Miroslav Klose in the record books
The Argentinian captain made history as Algeria struggled to respond. Any controversy surrounding the challenge ultimately failed to disrupt Messi's performance.
Argentina continued to dominate after the break, and their captain soon added a second goal. On the hour mark, Alexis Mac Allister forced a save from Luca Zidane, with Messi reacting quickest to tap home the rebound.
His third goal arrived in the 76th minute and proved to be the standout moment of the evening. Receiving the ball just outside the box, Messi drilled a low effort beyond the goalkeeper to complete his hat-trick.
The strike carried extra importance as it moved him level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, making them joint leaders on the competition's all-time scoring list.
Three minutes later, Messi was substituted and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Although the veteran forward appeared disappointed to be withdrawn, the decision allowed him to leave the field after producing one of the finest individual displays of the tournament.
The match also marked the 200th international appearance of Messi's career, which began in 2005 when he was 18 years old. Only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa have made more appearances at the international level.
Algeria had little success throughout the contest. They briefly thought they had taken an early lead when Fares Chaibi scored in the ninth minute, but that effort was ruled out for offside. Messi ensured there would be no repeat of Argentina's opening-game defeat at the 2022 World Cup, when they lost to Saudi Arabia before eventually lifting the trophy.
The hat-trick also overshadowed impressive displays elsewhere on the same day. Kylian Mbappe scored twice in France's 3-1 victory over Senegal, while Erling Haaland netted twice as Norway defeated Iraq 4-1.
Argentina's victory leaves them well placed ahead of their next group-stage match against Austria. Yet while the result strengthened their title defence, much of the discussion after the final whistle remained focused on the first-half challenge that many fans believed should have earned Messi a red card.
