Lionel Messi and this love story with the World Cup 2026 endures. The game’s most beloved player, Argentina’s most famous son, provided another golden performance as his first-ever World Cup hat-trick propelled Argentina towards a fourth star.
It can be easy to forget the pain and sorrow experienced on this brilliant Argentine’s gripping journey, before that outpouring of jubilation and the destiny of Doha in 2022. But beyond Kylian Mbappe’s super-charged France and the mesmerising Lamine Yamal’s Spain, Argentina’s dream of back-to-back titles burnt bright in the night sky of Kansas City in a 3-0 victory over an Algeria side blinded by this iconic No 10’s light.
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