Kansas City/IBNS, June 17 -- Football legend Lionel Messi painted the Kansas City Stadium in blue and white, scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday (local time).

Messi Equals Klose's World Cup Record

Messi's three-goal masterclass saw him draw level with German great Miroslav Klose's all-time FIFA World Cup goalscoring record.

Landmark Night for the Argentine Captain

The match carried added significance for Messi as he made his 200th international appearance for Argentina and registered the first World Cup hat-trick of his illustrious career.

Early Strike Sets the Tone

Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a trademark finish after both sides had...