Hat-trick on debut, tough days off the pitch, and a Nadal comparison no one saw coming
At 38, Messi scored three goals against Algeria, opened up about a difficult stretch before the tournament, and drew a striking parallel between his own longevity and Rafael Nadal's.
Tough days off the pitch, three goals on it, and a comparison nobody saw coming. Lionel Messi opened the 2026 World Cup the only way he knows how: with a hat-trick in Argentina's 3–0 win over Algeria, leaving everyone with more questions than answers.
At 38, named Player of the Match on debut, the Argentine captain revealed that the game had been preceded by a turbulent personal stretch. "Honestly, completely unrelated to football, I went through some difficult and complicated days," Messi said. He thanked the delegation and his teammates: "They gave me a lot of strength to get through it, and that's all there is to it."
None of it showed on the pitch. But Messi was keen to put the match in context: the first half was tense, Argentina did not have an easy ride, and the overall level of the tournament impressed even the reigning world champion. "It's a very competitive World Cup, where every team is strong," he warned.
After collecting his Player of the Match award, he delivered the line that will be shared across social media for days. Messi said he has been watching Rafael Nadal's documentary series and found himself identifying with the Spanish tennis star. "I think we are very similar in that sense. I always want to give my best and feel good. As long as I can and I'm in shape, I'll be there," he said.
The comparison goes beyond romance: two athletes who should have stopped by now, yet keep on winning long after most others have walked away.
The match also sparked controversy beyond the scoreline. According to A Bola, the Algerians protested a first-half incident they felt should have resulted in a red card for Messi — the Algeria coach said "everyone saw it." The referee played on.
Golmetria's model gives Argentina a 13.45% chance of lifting the trophy — a genuine favourite, but far from a certainty. The market is even more sceptical, with an implied probability of 7.49%. In other words: the Cup is wide open, and nobody knows that better than Messi.
Next up is Austria, in Dallas, on 22 June. A fourth star beckons — and Messi looks in no hurry to stop.