By Lori Ewing
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 16 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi scored a majestic hat-trick to equal the all-time World Cup scoring record, answering doubts about his influence at age 38 and breathing life into Argentina's title defence with a 3-0 Group J win over Algeria on Tuesday.
He drew level with Germany's Miroslav Klose with 16 goals in total and became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick — exactly 20 years to the day since his first goal at the global tournament.
The opening
game in Group J at Kansas City Stadium saw another masterclass from the Argentina captain, who turns 39 later this month and was marking his 200th cap for his country as he became the first player to compete at six World Cups.
He had the crowd celebrating what they thought was a dream start with a goal in the opening five minutes but it was chalked off for offside.
So it felt inevitable that it was the star forward who would rise to the moment for the raucous sea of sky blue and white, with what seemed like every fan in the stands wearing a shirt bearing his name as he gave them another moment of magic.
Messi netted his first in the 17th minute when he collected a brilliant through ball from Rodrigo De Paul, who slipped a perfectly weighted pass between Algeria's back line.
Messi drove forward before unleashing a rocket from about 25 yards out that glanced off the fingertips of goalkeeper Luca Zidane -- son of France great Zinedine Zidane who was in the crowd -- and into the top-right corner.
He struck his second in the 60th minute when Alexis Mac Allister fired a low drive from 25 yards that Zidane fumbled badly, the ball spilling awkwardly off his chest and dropping invitingly for Messi, who guided it into the net.
Messi almost completed his hat-trick about five minutes later, but Zidane leapt to push his shot over the bar, yet he did find the net again in the 76th minute with another blistering strike, teed up by substitute Nico Gonzalez.
Algeria's Fares Chaibi had briefly celebrated what he thought was the opening goal a couple of minutes after Messi's disallowed effort, but it was also ruled offside.
Algeria fans screamed for a red card when Messi stepped on the calf of Aissa Mandi in the first half, but there was no sanction against him.
Argentina are aiming to become the first men's team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.
They arrived wary of another stumble, mindful of how their past two World Cup campaigns had begun with a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and a frustrating draw with Iceland four years earlier.
Questions lingered too over this side's credentials, with Lionel Scaloni's team having gone years without facing European opposition until a 3-0 friendly win over Iceland last week, their first match against a European opponent since the last World Cup.
On Tuesday, however, those doubts were swept aside as the holders delivered a composed and authoritative performance that signalled they will again be a formidable force.
Argentina play Austria on Monday in Arlington, Texas, while Algeria face Jordan the same day in Santa Clara, California.
(Writing by Lori Ewing, Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Davis)
