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Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City, with Lionel Messi doing something he'd somehow never managed before — scoring a hat-trick at a World Cup. He got them in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes, which is exactly the kind of efficiency you'd expect from someone who's been doing this for two decades. The third goal drew him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, the all-time record, so no big deal. Argentina look ominously good; Algeria, on the other hand, are already in a hole after the opening game.
Pre-match Talking Points
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1Argentina are the defending champions and would very much like to stay that way. They're ranked number one in the world and arrive having beaten Zambia, Honduras and Iceland by a combined 10-0 in warm-ups, which is exactly the kind of stat that makes you nervous about the first proper game. Algeria, meanwhile, topped their African qualifying group and are back at the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Both teams have something to prove — Argentina that they're still the best team on the planet, Algeria that they deserve to be here.
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2These two countries have actually met before at a World Cup — the 1982 tournament in Spain. Algeria, against all odds, beat West Germany in what became one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Argentina weren't involved in that one, but the broader point stands: Algeria know how to make a big tournament moment. The two sides have barely crossed paths since, which makes this a rare head-to-head and a chance for Algeria to add another memorable chapter.
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3The obvious name is Lionel Messi, but the more interesting story is Riyad Mahrez. The former Manchester City winger is Algeria's captain and the most dangerous thing they have going forward — a player who, on his day, can do things that make you put your phone down. He's 35, this is almost certainly his last World Cup, and he knows it. If Algeria are going to cause any trouble, it'll probably start with him cutting in from the right.
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4Messi is the subplot. He turned up to the tournament carrying a muscular problem and only managed 20 minutes off the bench in Argentina's final warm-up against Iceland. Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni has been deliberately cagey about whether he starts. On one hand, you don't want to risk him. On the other hand, it's Messi's 200th international cap and his 27th World Cup appearance — a record no man has ever reached. The decision basically writes itself, but Scaloni still has to make it.
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5This is Messi's sixth World Cup, which is something that genuinely shouldn't be possible. He first played at one in 2006, back when half of Algeria's current squad were still in primary school. He's already the most-capped player in the tournament's history, and tonight he breaks his own record. Whether you care about football or not, you're watching a man do something no one has ever done — and probably no one ever will again.
Team Talking Points
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1Messi is 39 years old, just battled through a World Cup semi-final admitting afterwards he was "really very tired," and is somehow still leading the Golden Boot race with eight goals. If he lifts this one, it's Argentina's fourth title and his own farewell tour written by a screenwriter with no self-control.
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2Argentina reached this final the hard way: 1-0 down to England with time running out in the semi, then two goals late on flipped it to a 2-1 win. Nobody in this squad seems to know how to lose calmly, which is either agony or entertainment depending on which shirt you're wearing.
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3This is Argentina's third World Cup final in the last four tournaments and their seventh overall — a run of sustained excellence that doesn't get talked about enough because Messi understandably eats all the oxygen in the room.
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4The referee is Slovenian official Slavko Vincic, and Argentina fans have one specific memory of him: he was in charge the day Saudi Arabia beat them 2-1 in 2022, still the biggest shock of that tournament. Best not to bring this up in the tunnel.
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5Despite defending the title and having the tournament's most potent attack — 19 goals, more than anyone else in the competition — Argentina go into the final as betting underdogs, with Spain favourites on every market. Mention this and you'll sound like you actually follow the odds, not just the shirt numbers.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Messi's 39, admits he's knackered, and is one win away from a fourth World Cup with Argentina — if this is the last dance, it's a hell of a way to go out.
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Avoid saying
"Is this Messi's last World Cup?" — every outlet on earth has asked this exact question this week and Messi hasn't answered it once, so asking it out loud just tells people you've read the same three headlines as everyone else.
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1Algeria's World Cup ended in the Round of 32, beaten 2-0 by Switzerland in Vancouver on July 2 — goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye did the damage. It's Algeria's first knockout appearance since 2014, so there's genuine pride in how they got here, even in defeat.
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2The standout moment was the final group game: a breathless 3-3 draw with Austria in Kansas City that sent Algeria through as one of the best third-placed teams, despite having lost their opener 3-0 to Argentina. Captain Riyad Mahrez scored twice and set up a third in that game — the kind of night a captain dreams about.
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3Mahrez, 35, missed the 2018 and 2022 World Cups entirely, so this tournament was billed as unfinished business for him personally. He delivered in the one game that mattered most, even if Algeria couldn't carry the momentum past Switzerland.
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4Mahrez is the name to drop — the long-time Manchester City winger, still doing it at 35 for his country. Mention his two goals and an assist in that mad Austria draw and you'll sound like you actually watched it, not just skimmed the group tables.
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5Algeria go home having done more than most expected of a third-placed qualifier, with Mahrez's near-perfect night against Austria as the lasting image. There's enough coming through underneath him — Amoura, Belaili — that this feels like a changing of the guard rather than a full reset.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Algeria go out having drawn 3-3 with Austria in maybe the maddest group game of the tournament, with Mahrez pulling the strings at 35 — not bad for someone who spent the last two World Cups watching from home.
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Avoid saying
Anything implying Algeria snuck into the knockouts by accident — third-placed qualification sounds like a technicality, but getting there meant winning a genuine shootout of a group game against Austria. Call it lucky and a real fan will correct you.