Argentina opened its World Cup defense with a 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, as Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and tied the men’s World Cup career scoring record. The spectacle delivered the usual hierarchy in bright colors: a heavily pro-Argentina crowd, police officers on horseback patrolling fans outside the stadium, and thousands of people spending serious money to be present for a tournament run by institutions far above them.
Who Gets to Move the Game
Messi scored in the opening minutes on a feed from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, scored again off a rebound early in the second half and completed the hat trick on a strike from the top of the penalty box before leaving to a standing ovation. The goals gave Messi 16 for his World Cup career, tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the record, and made him one of only two players, along with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, to score in five World Cups.
Messi said after the match, “The first matches at the World Cup are always tough, and we’re seeing that nobody’s giving anything away.” He also said, “My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to football. And those feelings were because of that. I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.” Later he said, “I like playing soccer. It’s been my passion since I was little. When I’m in good shape, I give it my all.” He added, “It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way. What I’m living though now is the cherry on top. I’m very happy an grateful for this wonderful group. I enjoy it so much.” Messi said, “This is my sixth World Cup, and I still feel like I’m in good shape. Fortunately, I’m doing well, and today we managed to win a tough match. It’s important to start the tournament with a victory in the first game, as that’s never easy in a World Cup.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, “At a loss for words about Leo. What can I say? He’s incredible.” He also said, “The first match is always tricky. We had stumbled in the last World Cup and we needed to have a good debut today.” Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic said, “We’re not talking about any old footballer. Unfortunately we also afford him the opportunity with the first and second goal, and we actually made it easier for him. But Messi, with his clear thinking in crucial stages of the game, is able to do things that much more easily.” Petkovic also said, “Class is permanent. He’s fortunate to have the privilege that the entire Argentina team works for him, and supports him, and for a number of years now — decades — he’s done incredible things.” Algeria star Riyad Mahrez said, “Argentina have a special player who can change a game on his own.”
The Crowd Pays, the Apparatus Profits
Messi’s hat trick was the 61st of his career, his 11th while playing in his national team colors and his first in the World Cup. It was also the fifth straight World Cup game in which he scored. His appearance against Algeria was the 200th of his international career, which began in 2005 at age 18. The only players with more are Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who will play his 229th on Wednesday, and Bader al-Mutawa, who played in 202 for Kuwait. Messi and Ronaldo are the only men to have scored in five World Cups. Messi’s trio of goals came 20 years to the day after he made his World Cup debut in a match against Serbia and Montenegro, when he scored in that game too.
Messi had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury with Inter Miami that slowed him in the lead-up to the World Cup, but he had no problems in a tuneup last week with Iceland, scoring on a penalty kick while playing 20 minutes. He was a pest on defense, too, helping Argentina lock down Algeria. Algeria’s best chance came in the opening minutes, when Fares Chaibi’s would-be goal was taken away by a VAR review that showed he was offside. Messi scored moments later. The game at Arrowhead Stadium fulfilled the longtime dream of the late Lamar Hunt, who founded the NFL franchise that calls it home and was instrumental in the growth of soccer in the U.S. from the 1960s through the early 2000s. Hunt played a big role in the U.S. hosting the 1994 World Cup. His sons, Clark and Dan, are doing likewise with this edition. Among those in the crowd were Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany.
Argentina will continue its pursuit of back-to-back titles in Arlington, Texas, when it plays Austria on Monday and Jordan on June 27. Algeria plays Jordan on Monday in Santa Clara, California, before facing Austria in its Group J finale on June 27 in Kansas City. De Paul said, “The goal is always to arrive on the first day and leave on the last.”
Fans, Fees, and Horseback Patrols
Argentina fans were also central to the opening-night atmosphere in Kansas City. Three fans bicycled nearly 11,000 miles from South America to Kansas City without tickets in hand. One group drove 20 hours, living off sandwiches to save money. Daniel Otero, a 73-year-old attending his seventh tournament, said he was spending around $100,000 so he and his two sons could watch the team play over the coming weeks. He said, “We are crazy for Argentina. That’s why we spend so much money to see our country, our national team.” Martin said, “Argentina now is like the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan.” He added, “In his prime, he had fans around the world. Argentina has fans around the world with Messi.” Martin plans to spend the next month following the team with his girlfriend, 31-year-old Agostina Gomez Uvia, a quest he estimates will cost them $20,000 each. Otero said he was spending $40,000 on tickets alone. Otero and his son, Franco Otero, 27, marveled that U.S. families also were wearing Argentina jerseys emblazoned with Messi’s name. Franco Otero said, “I can’t remember an Argentinian team without Messi.” In the parking lot outside the stadium, 11-year-old Andre Cornuz of Miami joined his father as he set up a flag atop a van before the game. Members of the band Los Sin Entradas lined up drums, and a giant banner read, “Lio Te Quiero,” with a photo of Messi. Andre said, “I have been raised with Messi. I am very connected to the land.” He said the band’s next stop is Dallas, where Argentina is playing next, and then “wherever it takes us.”
Pam Kramer, the chief executive of the Kansas City organizing committee, said, “We had those three Argentine cyclists come here, and they came here without tickets. And the people in Johnson County (Kansas) were like, ‘You know what? We’re fans too. We’re going to make sure you get to a match,’” and added, “and that’s genuine. Nobody is doing it for show. We want people to see what we see, that this place is pretty special.” Three hours before kickoff, fans were already lining up to get into the stadium. Jorgelina Skorput, 34, of New York City, waited with her friends as police officers on horseback patrolled the crowd. She drove two days to get there, munching on sandwiches and staying at an Airbnb an hour out of town because it was cheaper. She said the trip cost her $2,000, including the $800 game ticket. Skorput, who was born in Rosario, Argentina, and moved to the U.S. when she was 9, said, “I felt like this is the only time, the only opportunity I’m going to get to see the World Cup. We’re the last champions.”
Brazil’s Injured Star, Managed by the Camp
Neymar returned to the training field Tuesday for the first time since joining Brazil’s World Cup squad while nursing an injured right leg. He still was not at full speed and did mostly physical conditioning at the team’s training camp outside New York. He had undergone tests on his right calf on Monday to determine the progress of the injury he sustained while playing with Brazilian club Santos on May 17. The 34-year-old Neymar, playing at his fourth World Cup, has yet to join the rest of the squad in full training sessions during the team’s preparations. He is not expected to play in Brazil’s match against Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia. Brazil began its tournament with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in Group C. There was widespread debate in Brazil over whether Neymar, whose first World Cup was on home soil in 2014, should have been called up for the tournament by coach Carlo Ancelotti. After Tuesday’s training, Neymar stayed on the field and posed for photos with his partner and daughters.