Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as defending champions Argentina began their FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-0 victory over Algeria, equalling the tournament’s all-time scoring record.

The 38-year-old captain became the first player to feature in six FIFA World Cups during his 200th international appearance before producing the first World Cup hat-trick of his career at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Messi opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a curling effort before adding two more goals in the second half to take his World Cup tally to 16 goals, drawing level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the competition’s joint all-time leading scorer.

The victory gave Argentina a winning start in Group J as they pursue a second consecutive World Cup title after lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022.