The last time Argentina met an Arab team playing in green at a World Cup, they were on the receiving end of one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.
Saudi Arabia were the victors at Qatar 2022, Salem Al Dawsari writing his name into football folklore with a goal that sunk Argentina hearts and gave Lionel Messi pause for thought as to whether he would ever land the one trophy that had, to that point, eluded him.
By the end of that tournament, Messi was lifting the trophy. He scored twice in the final against France, as well as in the penalty shoot-out. There was nothing left for the master to achieve.
Messi had intimated afterwards that he might not stick around for the next World Cup in North America. He turns 39 this week, and there was nothing left for him to achieve in a career that had already seen him win 47 trophies for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina as well as eight Ballon d’Ors.
But the World Cup has an irresistible pull on Messi. Think the Eye of Sauron in the Lord of The Rings, only less sinister.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic had said in his pre-match press conference that there was no special plan to stop Messi. It wasn’t meant as a slight, that somehow Messi’s powers were on the wane, only that by concentrating resources on the maestro would mean more freedom for Argentina’s other array of attacking talent to flourish.
Petkovic probably wishes he had opted for a different tactic. By the time he left the field in Kansas to rapturous applause on 78 minutes, Messi had bagged all three goals in a 3-0 Argentina win.
There were two goals ruled out for offside inside the first seven minutes. Messi’s first touch saw him kick the ball straight out for a throw-in; his second saw him have the ball in the back of the net. Algeria were saved by the linesman’s flag on this occasion, the Argentine maestro straying just offside before slotting the ball inside Luca Zidane’s near post.
Fares Chaibi wheeled away in celebration moments later, put through by a superb Nabil Bentaleb pass. The winger’s scuffed shot eluded Emi Martinez, but like Messi, Chaibi had just mistimed his run. VAR intervened to spare Argentina’s blushes.
Messi then took the officials and technology out of the equation by firing Argentina ahead in trademark fashion.
There was an inevitability about what the end result would be when he received the ball some 30 yards from goal. Stood in between four Algeria players, there was just enough zip on Rodrigo De Paul’s pass for Messi to take it on the turn. He strode forward, nudged the ball slightly left, making the angle more favourable. He then unleashed a shot from just outside the Algeria area that arced away from Zidane but still felt savable. Zidane got both hands to the ball but not enough to keep it out.
Messi had his goal, his 118th for Argentina in his 200th international appearance. This was Messi’s 27th World Cup finals match, more than any other player. He was appearing in his sixth World Cup; this was the fifth he had scored in. It was 20 years to the day he scored his first goal at a global finals, against Serbia and Montenegro.
Credit to Algeria, they stayed positive. Chaibi saw a headed effort go harmlessly wide, and in a moment reminiscent of Messi’s earlier effort, danced past Cristian Romero and, on his right side, struck an effort from distance, but his effort was way off target.
Messi had a sight at goal early in the second half, edge of the area, slightly off centre, the top right corner of the goal beckoning. Although he sent his effort wide, it was enough to excite the watching Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback.
He had more reason to cheer on 59 minutes as Messi doubled his tally and Argentina’s lead. Taking a page out of Mahomes’ playbook, Messi played a pass to release Nicolas Gonzalez down the left. Algeria cleared the initial cross but the ball fell invitingly to Alexis Mac Allister to chance his arm from distance.
Again, Zidane should have done better. The goalkeeper, who changed his allegiance to the Fennecs last year, could only spill the effort straight into the path of Messi to tap in from close range.
Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Amoura and Houssem Aouar were introduced. It was a surprise none had been included in Algeria’s starting XI and it was Aouar who came closest to reducing the arrears with a shot from range.
Zidane, watched on by his father Zinedine, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, denied Messi a hat-trick with a superb save on 65 minutes.
He wouldn’t be denied for long. On 76 minutes, Gonzalez picked out Messi on the edge of the box; he took a touch and calmly picked his spot in the bottom corner. It was Messi's first World Cup hat-trick.
In the end, the day, like so many before, belonged to one man, arguably the greatest to ever play the game. Messi seems to be getting better with age. He now has 10 World Cup goals after turning 35. His treble against Algeria drew him level with Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals. Few would bet against him surpassing it.
The venue felt fitting: Kansas City was the setting for The Wizard of Oz, now it has witnessed the magic of Messi as the Argentina captain reminded everyone why he remains football's greatest showman.
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