Lionel Messi once again delivered a masterclass for Argentina, scoring his first World Cup hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria. The 38-year-old captain equaled Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals, becoming the joint-highest scorer in World Cup history.
Messi reflects on historic achievement
After the match, Messi described the moment as special. "To enjoy this with my family, with my teammates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment. I'm happy," the Inter Miami star said. He also expressed gratitude to the fans: "I'm grateful to the fans, because once again they've shown that Argentina is crazy about this -- we packed the stadium again."
Controversial tackle sparks debate
Messi was involved in a contentious moment early in the second half when he caught Algeria defender Aissa Mandi with a studs-up challenge. The referee awarded a free-kick, and VAR decided against further punishment, allowing Messi to stay on the pitch. However, former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha felt Messi was fortunate. "It probably should have been a red card. I think the referee's probably missed it, and I understand why, but for the video system referees to look at that and say 'nah that's all fine,' I personally think that's worthy of a red card," Onuoha said. ESPN's Ale Moreno added, "It's 100 per cent a red card for Lionel Messi, should have been."
Scaloni runs out of superlatives
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted he struggled to find words to describe his captain. "For 20 years, he's had us used to seeing things like this, and he inspires everyone who watches him play," Scaloni said. Looking ahead to the next Group J match against Austria, he added: "We're going to take it one game at a time. The team is happy; we gave playing time to a lot of players. Hopefully we can win the next one so everyone can be in the third group stage match."
