00:00It is among the most sought-after tickets in the group stage, the beginning of Group J.
00:05Argentina's title defense begins. Algeria returned to the World Cup for the first time.
00:10Number 200 for his country. Score of 117 goals.
00:15Two center-back pairing, they're not that quick.
00:19Ben Sublany was in question, does start.
00:22Otaro gets the first touch for Argentina, we're underway in Kansas City.
00:27Algeria and Argentina.
00:30In terms of that passage of play, that philosophy, the movement inside to open up something else,
00:35to make Algeria narrow so they can provide the width elsewhere.
00:39Allow Messi to do the spectacular...
00:45Otaro, Messi!
00:46Leo Messi!
00:50The flag is up, it's deemed offside.
00:54That was my initial thought, offside, and I think the look on his face
00:58tells a story.
01:00I'll be honest, I think it's a bit tighter than I initially thought, but I do think that...
01:06Here he leaves, Maza, one of the most promising players in the Bundesliga this year.
01:13Maza.
01:15Slips it ahead.
01:16Slips it ahead.
01:17Shady!
01:20Oh, what a star it is for Algeria!
01:24Far as Shady opens the scoring in stunning fashion!
01:33The dunner, because of moments like this, now is that offside, it's tight.
01:40We know it's going to be looked at, but the ball through to Shady is absolutely immaculate.
01:46And what's clever about this is he opens his hips up, so I think he outfoxes Martinez
01:50in the fact that, I think the goalkeeper thinks he's going to go across him, and he doesn't.
01:54He just shifts it into the near post.
01:56The final decision, offside!
01:58Deal with thinking they've gone 1-0 up, the celebration, the emotion, and then having
02:02to change focus again.
02:04I ignore a brilliant touch.
02:08And wins a free kick off Montiel.
02:11The sun going down with the humidity dropping off has made a huge difference.
02:15Messi flying forward.
02:17Leo Messi!
02:22These years of performing on the world stage, absolutely not.
02:27There's nothing that Zidane and Goal can do about this.
02:30But it's textbook.
02:32The way that he turns, the pocket that he finds.
02:40Messi, the give and go.
02:42Flicks it ahead, the return.
02:45Angles it across.
02:49Out of reach.
02:50Heidlory chasing.
02:52The build-up.
02:54You see semi-automated VAR
02:57take it all away.
03:00Credit to the VAR, by the way.
03:01It's been incredibly fast, and that's what the
03:04fans want, isn't it?
03:05For that technology to work the way it should.
03:08Armada went down.
03:10Fernandez kept the move going for Argentina.
03:13Messi
03:14left it short.
03:17Armandu.
03:19The pressure from Messi, billowing forward.
03:28Armandu.
03:29Seem
03:31too much of a bad challenge, but I do think it's...
03:34There's no malice in it.
03:35Just on the back of the Achilles there.
03:38That's a bad...
03:38It's a bad tackle.
03:40To say, I don't think it's meant with malice, but he knows.
03:52Foul from Buiri.
03:53You mentioned his frustration.
03:55He's touched the ball the least of any player on the field.
03:57Just five touches.
04:00Getting it right.
04:01That's the foul in the end for the frustration.
04:05We've got to go as a unit.
04:07We've got to go together.
04:08Try and half the pitch.
04:09Make it smaller.
04:10But there's times where Buiri is going.
04:13Broken ring finger tested yet.
04:16I would imagine so.
04:17I mean, everything that the doctors and the physios can do now in terms of...
04:25Showing...
04:25Found that a bit of an elbow.
04:31Messi.
04:32Messi.
04:36Messi.
04:36Manuel Mata has support in the width.
04:38Almata.
04:41Messi.
04:44Swings across.
04:48Angle back.
04:50Fernandez still.
04:52Messi.
04:53Return.
04:54Couldn't slip by.
04:55Almaty cleans it up.
04:57And the offside flag was raised.
04:59Never would have counted anyway.
05:05Bantaleev slips ahead.
05:07Angled across.
05:08Martinez.
05:09Parting the post.
05:12ZL did enough to get it away and allow Messi free reign.
05:19His defender on an island.
05:23Almaty's got it wide.
05:26Graves to have a goal.
05:28Almaty's thoroughly perplexed.
05:31Algeria continue.
05:33Final minute of first half stoppage time.
05:41Angling still for space, going for goal, takes a deflection, multiple, bounces off Goeri and into the grateful hands of
05:48Martinez.
05:49The body faints, the drop of the shoulders and just say because of the deflections when it comes in to
05:55Goeri, he just can't quite get a handle on the ball.
06:01As he offers, McAllister was waiting and takes us to halftime.
06:07It's a great ball.
06:09It's a great ball.
06:09Should have done better with it, McAllister, and that's why he's got his head in his hands currently.
06:17Leo Messi scores at the World Cup yet again.
06:20The 17th minute of play.
06:23And while both teams have seen the offside flag take away a tally in the opening 10 minutes, Messi's surely
06:31counts.
06:32Argentina 1, Algeria 0 at halftime.
06:37Gouiri takes the first touch for Algeria onto the second half.
06:41One change at the intermission.
06:43It's Molina who started it right back.
06:45The majority of the last World Cup in 2022 replaces Gonzalo Montiel.
06:52Very patient Algerian approach.
06:54Gouiri take it no further.
06:56Fernandez forward.
06:59Flattering challenge shy of half field.
07:03Time that one right.
07:05Completely upended Messi.
07:12Messi in the vacated space.
07:15Two options beginning to percolate.
07:17The service all the way across.
07:18Never got to Gonzalez.
07:23Messi.
07:24Ladders around.
07:28Down to Martinez.
07:30Played more with his feet than his hands tonight.
07:36Pops it on a dime.
07:38Messi flicks it ahead.
07:39Gonzalez chasing.
07:40Swings the cross through over Julian Alvarez.
07:43Look at deflection high.
07:44From range.
07:46Big deflection!
07:47Coming in home!
07:49That's two for Messi!
07:53The second lead.
07:55Potentially takes a deflection.
07:57But let's start from the beginning.
08:00Wonderful touch by Messi.
08:01Great ball out from the goalkeeper.
08:03And then it's about this follow-up.
08:06From McAllister.
08:08In all essence it's extremely poor by the goalkeeper.
08:13Slightest of deflections if that.
08:17But in that position you need to push it out wide, Zidane.
08:20You can't push it back into the area.
08:22This will give us a better indication.
08:24I don't think there's even a deflection on the ball.
08:27And then Messi.
08:29Right place at the right time.
08:32Back in 2014.
08:40It seems like a strange decision not to start him.
08:45Ball ahead.
08:46Could this be the moment?
08:48Zidane.
08:49Just enough to whisk away Messi's effort.
08:53Toward a hat-trick.
08:55Wow.
08:56The whole stadium held his breath.
09:00Mahrez.
09:05Slides it centrally and this shot runs wide of Emi Martinez.
09:09Nearly feet as good as his dad.
09:12Pulling on Alvarez.
09:14All the way over.
09:15Down in the pearly area to play on.
09:22The earlier.
09:24Challenging.
09:26There's a thought.
09:27There's contact but I don't think there's enough there.
09:31Truly welcome to the United States, Courtney.
09:34Now you've experienced it all.
09:35I've got the full package.
09:37Messi.
09:40Gonzalez.
09:42Back to Messi.
09:44Messi!
09:48His first World Cup hat-trick.
09:51And it's a record-setter.
09:54In Argentine lore.
09:56And now tied with Marislav Klos.
09:58The most goals at the World Cup.
10:00Well, it's special.
10:01A special moment for an incredibly special player.
10:08On the Maza.
10:11McAllister provides quite the moving screen.
10:15Very much a body check, wasn't it?
10:19For the greatest goal scorer in World Cup history.
10:24Incredible.
10:2869,000 in this stadium.
10:31Got to see tonight.
10:34A true magician.
10:36At work.
10:39It's Mahrez off the wall.
10:42At the sunset of his international career.
10:45Mahrez pushes ahead.
10:47Zaruki.
10:49Mahrez won it back.
10:51Offers the service toward the penalty spot.
10:53Zaruki settles once more.
11:00It's ticking away tonight.
11:06And now Argentina should be able to salt this away.
11:10And they've managed the game in the last stages.
11:14Really well.
11:16The entire crowd to their feet.
11:20Martinez sends it away.
11:22Argentina.
11:24And Leo Messi.
11:27A 3-0 win in their opener.
11:30A dominant result over Algeria.
11:33They avoid the pitfall of 2022.
11:36And begin their title defense in style.
11:41Messi now the joint leading scorer in the history of the World Cup.
11:45And his first World Cup hat trick undoes Algeria.
11:49Three goals to nil.
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