Lionel Messi tied the World Cup’s career scoring record with a stunning hat trick in Argentina’s opening game against Algeria last night.

Messi, who will celebrate his 39th birthday next week, put to rest any questions about whether he could help his country win back-to-back titles after recently recovering from a hamstring injury.

Scoring all the goals in a 3-0 win, Messi tied Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the tournament’s career scoring record, which stands at 16 goals.

The Inter Miami goal machine netted his first in the opening minutes. His second was a rebound shortly after halftime. The third came moments before he was subbed to a standing ovation.

Messi made his World Cup debut 20 years ago when he scored against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. He is now the first player to appear at six World Cups, and last night’s hat trick was the 61st of his career, albeit his first at a World Cup.

Argentina tops Group J, ahead of Austria (on goal difference), which beat Jordan 3-1 earlier yesterday.

Messi upstaged two of soccer’s megastars — Kylian Mbappé of France and Erling Haaland of Norway — who had big games of their own yesterday.

Mbappé scored twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal to move into a tie for fourth on the World Cup goals list with 14. The star-studded French, along with European champion Spain, top many bookmakers’ lists of favorites for the tournament.

Playing in his first World Cup game, Haaland, one of Europe’s most feared strikers, scored twice for Norway in its 4-1 victory over Iraq.

World Cup Preview

Group L opens today with a heavyweight contest between familiar foes England and Croatia in Texas.

Croatia’s extra-time victory over England in the 2018 semifinals remains ​a defining moment in recent tournament history, and although both squads have evolved, the ⁠psychological edge of that night still lingers.

After decades of World Cup underachievement (England has not reached the final since it won in 1966), the English enlisted no-nonsense German manager Thomas Tuchel to help lead them to glory.

Tuchel’s main dilemmas center on selection rather than fitness, with competition for places in midfield, defense and the No. 10 role, where Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Aston Villa’s Morgan ​Rogers are vying for the ​position, underlining the depth ⁠at his disposal.

Croatia — with a population of less than 4 million, compared with England’s nearly 59 million — remains one of international soccer’s most resilient teams. Unbeaten in qualifying and built around the enduring presence of 40-year-old Luka Modrić, they combine ​experience with ⁠tactical discipline and are rarely overawed on the big stage.

For England, ​the opener offers a chance to underline its status as a contender. For Croatia, it is another opportunity to defy expectations.

Also in action today is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, which opens its campaign in Group K against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the same group, Uzbekistan, managed by former Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro, who won the tournament as Italy’s captain in 2006, plays Colombia in Mexico City. And Ghana takes on Panama in Group L.

Men in Blazers

Take a bow, Lionel Messi. Soccer fans didn’t just witness a match last evening; they took in greatness in the shape of heroism, the game in its purest form, and the artist and his paintbrush. With his first career World Cup hat trick, Messi moved up the ladder to 16 tournament goals, drawing level with the great Miroslav Klose as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 to begin its competition title defense. Fellow 2022 finalist France began its own journey after Kylian Mbappé hit the on button after the halftime break and nonchalantly decided to make history in their 3-1 win over Senegal. Mbappé’s World Cup main character syndrome is irrefutable, and at just 27, he became his country’s all-time top goalscorer while sitting on 14 World Cup goals of his own.

Today sees three major European powerhouses enter the fray, as the first round of group stage matches comes to a close. It begins with Cristiano Ronaldo looking to make a record-tying sixth tournament appearance for Portugal against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Houston at 1 p.m. ET. Then, England and its manager, Thomas Tuchel, take to the pitch against 2018 finalist and 2022 third-place finisher Croatia in a clash between two giants at 4 p.m. ET in Dallas. For the full match schedule, head here.

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