Kansas City: The Argentine captain, who was visibly emotional after scoring the opening goal, silenced any concerns over his recent hamstring injury with a masterclass performance that kept alive Argentina’s quest to become only the third nation to win back-to-back World Cup titles.

Messi opened the scoring in the early minutes after combining brilliantly with Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was seen wiping tears from his face after the goal before later revealing he had endured “some tough days” off the field.

“My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to football,” Messi said after the match. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.”

The 39-year-old superstar doubled Argentina’s advantage shortly after halftime by pouncing on a rebound before completing his first-ever World Cup hat-trick with a clinical finish late in the game. He received a standing ovation from the crowd of 69,045 as he was substituted moments later.

The remarkable performance saw Messi score his 16th World Cup goal, tying Klose’s all-time tournament record. The hat-trick was also the 61st of his illustrious career and marked the fifth consecutive World Cup match in which he has found the net.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was full of praise for his captain.

“At a loss for words about Leo. What can I say? He’s incredible,” Scaloni said.

The achievement came exactly 20 years after Messi made his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro, a match in which he also scored. He has now become only the second player in history to score in five different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

Messi’s appearance against Algeria was also the 200th international match of his career, placing him among the most-capped players in football history. Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa have made more appearances at international level.

The Argentine star’s heroics overshadowed strong performances from other global football icons on the same day. France’s Kylian Mbappé scored twice in a 3-1 win over Senegal, while Norway’s Erling Haaland netted a brace in a 4-1 victory over Iraq.

Watching Argentina’s match, Haaland summed up the feelings of many football fans worldwide, posting on Snapchat: “Messi is a madman.”

Despite entering the tournament with concerns surrounding a minor hamstring issue suffered while playing for Inter Miami, Messi looked sharp and fully fit throughout the match.

“This is my sixth World Cup, and I still feel like I’m in good shape,” Messi said. “It’s important to start the tournament with a victory in the first game, as that’s never easy in a World Cup.”

Argentina has attracted huge support since arriving in the Kansas City area, with thousands of fans wearing Messi’s iconic No. 10 jersey filling the stadium and surrounding fan zones.

For teammate Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s value extends far beyond records and goals.

“He doesn’t care about individual records. He prioritizes the group, and for us it’s incredible,” De Paul said.