The Argentina national team has officially begun the defense of its 2022 title. In their opening World Cup match, they dominated Algeria 3-0 behind the brilliance of Lionel Messi. Here are my biggest takeaways.
In the two World Cups prior, Argentina had a mini-curse of starting off slow. In 2018, they tied with Iceland 1-1, which put them behind the 8-ball. That had them facing elimination for the rest of the tournament.
Argentina had to squeak out a 2-1 win over Nigeria in the final group stage to advance to the knockout rounds. They eventually ran out of gas, losing 4-3 to France in the Round of 16.
In 2022, Argentina began with a loss to Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their opening World Cup match. After their disastrous 2018 run, the pressure was mounting. Messi was on the verge of facing another disappointing World Cup finish.
Argentina ended up winning the tournament, but it would be preferable to get some breathing room early. With Messi coming off an injury and being 39 years old, getting him breaks is crucial before the knockout stages.
That is exactly what Messi and company did. Argentina won 3-0 in dominating fashion. They had nine shots, and six of them were on target. Algeria, on the other hand, had just six attempts and none of them on target.
It was what this team needed.
Earlier in the day, Kylian Mbappe surpassed Messi for most goals all-time in World Cup History. Messi had 13, and Mbappe scored his 13th and 14th. That was short-lived as Argentina’s greatest icon kicked off his 2026 World Cup with a hat-trick.
The encouraging part was that the goals didn’t seem physically demanding. Messi’s first and third goals were nice setups from teammates that got him in open space in the goalie box. The second one was a rebound shot after the ball ended up in front of him.
Normally, when a player scored three or more goals, there could be an element of carrying the team. That was not the case at all. Argentina as a whole played smart football, and Messi happened to be in the right place at the right time to come through.
Now, let’s look at the history Messi made during this match. He became the first-ever player to play in six World Cups. Cristiano Ronaldo will be the second player to do so when Portugal takes the field.
The next feat was tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the most World Cup Goals ever with 16. Believe it or not, this was Messi’s first-ever hat-trick in a World Cup match. There is no coincidence that it took place right after he won it all. He’s no longer playing with a weight on his shoulders.
On June 16th 2006, Messi scored his first-ever goal in the World Cup. Exactly 20 years later, he continues to add to his legacy. He is no longer chasing.
Spain and France are looked at as the rightful favourites to win this tournament. Don’t, however, count out the defending champs. This Argentina team had 17 members return for this World Cup, which is the most of any team.
That type of continuity is rare from one World Cup to the next.
In terms of the WC itself, it’s been a fantastic start. With the powerhouses beginning to take the field, there have been no letdowns.
On this day, Mbappe, Messi, and Erling Haaland took the field. Mbappe scored twice, Messi scored thrice, and Haaland scored twice of his own in his first-ever match in the big tournament.
On to the next match!
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