Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 at the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday morning, with captain Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick to tie the all-time tournament scoring record, Israeli media report. Messi's milestone follows his record-tying performance reported minutes earlier, as Argentina opens its title defense with a clean-sheet victory.
Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in its 2026 World Cup opener by 06:13 Jerusalem, with captain Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick to tie the all-time tournament scoring record — a milestone The Zioneer first reported as imminent when Messi netted his second goal at 04:20 Jerusalem, and confirmed with the third goal at 05:43 Jerusalem. The match, which began earlier Wednesday morning, saw Argentina secure a clean-sheet victory as the final whistle confirmed the record-tying performance.
The Zioneer tracked the milestone across three bulletins Wednesday morning: at 04:20 Jerusalem, Israeli sports broadcaster Ben Goldfriend reported Messi's 14th career World Cup goal in the 16th minute, giving Argentina an early lead; minutes later at 04:20 Jerusalem, broadcast reports confirmed a brace giving Argentina a 2-0 lead; and by 05:43 Jerusalem, Channel 12 reported the hat-trick that tied the all-time record, corroborated by multiple sources. The thread shows rapid consolidation — from a single broadcaster to multiple outlets — within 90 minutes.
As The Zioneer reported at 04:11 Jerusalem, Argentina entered the tournament as defending world champions; background reporting noted the team had won its warm-up matches, including a 2-0 victory over Honduras on Sun Jun 7 and a 3-0 friendly win over Iceland on Wed Jun 10, both without the injured Messi at times. The clean-sheet victory continues Argentina's strong defensive form.
The specific all-time goals record Messi tied was not specified in Wednesday's reporting, nor was a source cited for the exact tally of the previous record-holder — the milestone was reported as fact by Channel 12 and the match broadcast, with no on-record confirmation from FIFA or the Argentine federation.
5 developments
- DevelopingMessi scores 2 minutes into debut as substitute in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Iceland
- DevelopingWorld Cup roundup: Brazil disappointment, Qatar history
- DevelopingMaccabi Haifa player says team treated 'like terrorists' at World Cup
- DevelopingChristian Eriksen speaks for first time since collapse, says he is recovering at home
Source and signal
- Internal intake