Lionel Messi delivered three goals against Algeria, and world cup results yesterday centered on his first-ever World Cup hat trick. The Argentina captain turned a tight match into a one-man scoring surge.
Lionel Messi Against Algeria
His first goal started in midfield, where he collected the ball, drove forward, shifted it onto his left foot and finished into the top corner. That strike set the tone after an early goal had already been ruled out for offside.
Messi added two more, completing the hat trick on a night built around his finishing. The three-goal line gave Argentina the clearest individual scoring headline of the day.
Yasin Ayari and Sweden
Sweden opened against Tunisia with a seventh-minute goal from Yasin Ayari, who hit a knuckleball from just outside the top of the 18-yard box. He scored twice in that match, giving Sweden one of the stronger attacking returns in the group-stage slate.
Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappé set a new scoring record for France's men's team after tying the mark for most goals in team history. He beat Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy with a laser after Michael Olise was fouled and the referee played advantage, and the goal helped France beat Senegal.
Germany, the USA, and the scoring race
The USA added more late movement against Paraguay on June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium, where Folarin Balogun scored his second goal of the game after fighting off one defender, dribbling past another and finishing with his weaker left foot. Gio Reyna then came off the bench in the 82nd minute for Malik Tillman and scored in the final minute with the outside of his right foot after Alex Freeman’s pass on the 26th touch of the attack.
Germany also struck early, taking the lead against Curaçao in the sixth minute through Felix Nmecha after a one-two with Florian Wirtz. Germany finished with seven goals in its opener, a number that fits the day’s wider scoring pattern and leaves Messi’s three-goal outing as the sharpest individual line in the group-stage opening rush.
