Lionel Messi opened Argentina’s World Cup defense run with a special hat-trick, his first ever in the tournament in a 3-0 win vs. Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Messi’s Record-Tying Performance

He’s now tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals all time in the men’s tournament. Messi, who turns 39 on June 24, had actually opened the scoring even earlier than that, bursting down the right flank and clipping it home. However, it was ruled offside.

Messi then made it a brace in the 60th minute. Alexis Mac Allister attempted a long-range hit of his own that rolled kindly, with the parry by Zidane not going as planned. La Pulga was the first to it on the rebound and poked home, showing off his attacking instincts.

Messi then made it a hat-trick in the 76th minute with another curling effort with his left boot, this time going lower. It simply had too much power for Zidane to reach. It marked his first ever World Cup hat-trick.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.