India, June 17 -- Football icon Lionel Messi became the FIFA World Cup's joint all-time leading scorer after netting a hat-trick to guide defending champions Argentina to a commanding victory over Algeria in their opening match on Tuesday.

The match was particularly significant for Messi as he made his 200th international appearance for Argentina and scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his illustrious career.

In their bid to retain the title, Argentina began their campaign in dream fashion at Kansas City Stadium.

Following the emphatic win, Argentina will next face Austria and Jordan in the group stage as they continue their quest for back-to-back World Cup titles.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Indi...