Lionel Messi delivered another defining moment in football history with a hat-trick at the beginning of Argentina's FIFA World Cup title defence. On 16 June, Messi led the defending champions in a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City.
The Argentina captain scored all three goals on his landmark 200th international appearance. The performance not only secured three points for the reigning champions but also saw Messi draw level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose as the leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history with 16 goals.