Lionel Messi scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his career as Argentina secured victory over Algeria in their Group J encounter.
The Argentine captain, who became the first player to feature in six FIFA World Cups, produced a memorable performance in Kansas City by scoring all three goals for his side.
Messi opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort before capitalising on a goalkeeping error to net his second. He completed his hat-trick with a precise finish into the bottom corner to seal a famous night for Argentina.
The three-goal haul also saw Messi draw level with Miroslav Klose as the leading scorer in men’s World Cup history, with 16 goals to his name. (NewsWire)
