The 'God of Football' Strikes Again: Messi Nets Hat-Trick in World Cup Opener

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Lionel Messi, the 'God of Football,' made a powerful statement in his sixth World Cup appearance. In his opening match, he exploded with a hat-trick against Algeria, shattering various records and signaling the start of Argentina's quest for back-to-back titles.

Reporter Yu Byeongmin has the story.

[Reporter]

Making history as the first player to appear in six World Cups, the 39-year-old Messi dazzled every time he touched the ball.

Just five minutes into the first half, he broke through the defense to find the net, though the goal was narrowly ruled offside. However, in the 17th minute, he dropped into the midfield and unleashed a thunderous left-footed long-range strike, sending the stadium into a frenzy.

The shot was so precise that Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of Zinedine Zidane, could do nothing to stop it.

The second half continued to be a one-man show by Messi.

In the 15th minute of the second half, when the goalkeeper parried a long-range shot from Alexis Mac Allister, Messi pounced on the rebound and finished with ease.

He had been watching the play while maintaining space from the defenders, only to strike when the moment was right.

Then, in the 31st minute of the second half, he completed his hat-trick by finding the net once again with a sharp left-footed shot.

Despite four defenders rushing toward him, he threaded the ball through the narrowest of gaps.

Messi, who scored his 120th goal in his 200th international match, was substituted in the 35th minute of the second half with the game effectively decided. Fans gave him a standing ovation, chanting "GOAT," a term signifying the greatest player of all time.

[G.O.A.T: Greatest of All Time]

Messi received a perfect rating of 10, leading Argentina to a 3-0 victory.

[Lionel Messi/Argentina National Team: Fortunately, I felt good physically, and I enjoyed myself on the pitch in the way I love to play.]

With these three goals, Messi reached 16 career World Cup goals, tying the record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose. He also became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history, surpassing the previous record held by Cristiano Ronaldo at age 33.

Furthermore, he surpassed football legend Pelé to set a new record for the most total goal contributions in World Cup history with 24.

[Lionel Messi/Argentina National Team: I am proud of the records, but they don't hold much meaning to me. Numbers are just statistics that remain.]

With Messi’s record-breaking performance, Argentina now looks ahead to their second match against Austria as they embark on their journey for a second consecutive title.

Reported by Yu Byeongmin | Video by Jang Hyun-ki | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.