'Messi is eternal!' - Buenos Aires erupts as Argentina icon nets World Cup hat-trick against Algeria

Hundreds of Argentine fans gathered in Buenos Aires on Tuesday to watch their national team's World Cup opener from thousands of kilometres away, erupting in celebration as Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria.

Footage shows supporters singing, dancing and waving Argentina flags, with the crowd roaring after each goal from their captain.

"It could be Messi's last one. Look at what he did. Three goals, brilliant," said fan Alcides.

"I got very emotional with the third goal, tears came to my eyes because Messi is eternal, he is giving us so much joy, and you can tell he is enjoying it, and we are grateful," he added.

Other supporters praised Messi's performance and the powerful bond he has created across Argentina.

"The best. [Messi] is everything to us because he gives us joy as a society. He unites us as Argentines. What more could we ask for? And he will say goodbye as a genius," said fan Mirta.

Fans also compared Messi with Argentine legend Diego Maradona, saying the two players had defined different generations.

"Diego [Maradona] marked one generation and [Lionel] Messi marked another. But both are the greatest and they are Argentine. That is the most important thing," said fan Diego.

Messi's hat-trick took him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the men's World Cup's all-time leading scorer, with 16 goals. At 38, he also became the oldest player to score a hat-trick at the tournament.

Lionel Scaloni's side entered the tournament as defending champions after beating France in the 2022 final in Qatar to claim Argentina's third World Cup title.

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