Lionel Scaloni lauded the masterclass performance of Lionel Messi after the captain netted a sensational hat-trick in Argentina's dominant 3-0 victory over Algeria to launch their 2026 World Cup campaign. Lionel Messi put on a clinic at Kansas City Stadium, scoring a magnificent hat-trick in Argentina’s 2026 World Cup opener to propel the defending champions to a comfortable 3-0 rout of Algeria, seizing early control of Group J. Following the emphatic victory, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was left in complete awe of his captain’s timeless brilliance, reiterating that the No. 10 has firmly cemented his status as the undisputed greatest of all time. “I’m honestly at a loss for words. What else can I possibly say? He has been doing it for 20 years,” Scaloni told DSports in his post-match interview. “The entire footballing world tunes in just to watch him play, not just the fans in Argentina. What he transcends globally is absolutely unbelievable. I don’t know what else to add. He will forever be the greatest in history—it is incredibly hard to imagine anyone ever matching what he has done”. With his spectacular hat-trick, Messi has now matched Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals, while simultaneously becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to find the net against 11 different teams. Messi x3 🎩#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/KWNuCSaCIs— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 17, 2026 Scaloni about Argentina’s win Despite Argentina’s emphatic final scoreline, the early stages of the match were far from a walk in the park. Algeria caused serious structural problems for the defending champions, even sounding the alarm bells when Fares Chaibi had a goal ruled out for offside after piercing through the backline. Reflecting on those early scares, manager Lionel Scaloni admitted his squad was fully prepared for a tactical dogfight. “We knew we were going to suffer out there. They are a very well-drilled team with specific elements that were always going to put us in difficult situations,” the coach explained. “Even though we came away with a 3-0 win, it was an incredibly tough match”. The Argentine also emphasized the unique psychological pressure that defines a World Cup opener, noting that the memory of their shocking opening-match collapse against Saudi Arabia back in 2022 was heavily on their minds. “The first match of a World Cup is always complicated; the mental side of the game plays a massive role,” Scaloni added. “The setback we experienced in Qatar definitely weighed on us.”