Lionel Messi, who is representing Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is still able to make magic happen on the soccer field. Argentina's opening match came against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Messi, who signed with the MLS club Inter Miami CF in 2023, has already won at Arrowhead, when Inter Miami beat Sporting Kansas City 3-2 on April 13, 2024.
On Tuesday, Messi was able to secure a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria. The three goals tied the Argentina native with Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16 goals in the men's World Cup. The scoring outburst by the 38-year-old was not the only part of the game that made headlines.
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On Friday, following Algeria's loss to Argentina, the Algerian Football Federation made an appeal to FIFA over what it deems "preferential treatment" for the 5-foot-7 forward. In the first half of the game, Messi tackled Algeria captain Aïssa Mandi, with his cleats scraping Mandi's calf and ankle. The referees blew the whistle for a foul, but no card was given on the play.
The grievance was sent to FIFA's refereeing commission. Algeria will return Monday night against Jordan for what is deemed a "must-win" game. In a postgame analysis, ESPN's Ale Moreno said that it should have been "...100% a red card for Lionel Messi... It plays along this narrative that great players get preferential treatment..."
"The Algerian Football Federation appeals to FIFA," L'Equipe wrote on X, "over the refereeing following its defeat against Argentina in its World Cup opener."
Argentina will next face Austria in its Group J match Monday at 1 p.m. ET at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
