Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in the first round match of Group J in the men's soccer World Cup in Kansas City, the United States, on Tuesday.

The world's top ranked Argentina is the defending champion.

Lionel Messi, who won the MVP award in the previous World Cup in 2022 in Qatar, is playing in his sixth World Cup.

He scored a hat trick and led his team to defeat Algeria. With the performance, Messi now ties Miroslav Klose who played for Germany's national team as the top overall World Cup scorer with 16 goals.

The 38-year-old Messi scored first in the 17th minute with a mid-range shot. His second score came when he pushed the ball into the goal in the 60th minute. He scored another goal in the 76th minute, achieving the first hat trick of this World Cup.

Algeria appeared to have scored a goal in the first half, but it was ruled out on review.