Messi Scores Hat-Trick as Argentina Cruises to Victory in Bid for Back-to-Back Titles

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In the North and Central American World Cup, defending champion and FIFA top-ranked Argentina defeated Algeria in their opening match, led by a hat-trick from the "God of Football," Lionel Messi.

Reporter Yoo Byung-min has the story.

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By starting against Algeria, Messi set a historic milestone as the first player to appear in six World Cup tournaments, and he celebrated the feat with a hat-trick.

With the match scoreless in the 17th minute of the first half, Messi’s sharp left-footed shot deflected off the goalkeeper's hand and into the corner of the net for the opening goal.

Messi added his second goal in the 15th minute of the second half to make it 1-0, and completed his hat-trick with a third goal in the 31st minute of the second half.

Having scored 13 goals in his previous five World Cups, Messi increased his career tally to 16, tying Germany's Miroslav Klose for the most goals in tournament history. He also set a new record as the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup.

Argentina, the reigning champion from the Qatar World Cup, defeated Algeria 3-0, making a strong start in their quest for back-to-back titles.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.