Messi's historic 200th goal Fires Argentina ahead of Algeria at half-time

Defending champions Argentina made a confident start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, taking a 1-0 lead over Algeria at the break in their Group J opener, courtesy of a landmark goal from captain Lionel Messi.

On a night filled with milestones, Messi marked his 200th appearance for Argentina by scoring his 118th international goal and 14th in World Cup finals. The Argentine superstar also etched his name into football history by becoming the first player ever to feature in six FIFA World Cups.

The match began in dramatic fashion as Messi found the net inside five minutes, sparking celebrations among Argentine supporters. However, the goal was ruled out for offside after a review showed the forward had strayed marginally beyond the last defender during the build-up.

Algeria experienced a similar disappointment moments later when they also had a goal disallowed for offside after briefly breaching Argentina’s backline.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 17th minute. Rodrigo De Paul delivered a precise pass from midfield, allowing Messi to surge forward before unleashing a powerful strike from outside the penalty area. Although goalkeeper Luca Zidane managed to get a hand to the ball, he could not prevent it from finding the back of the net, handing Argentina a deserved lead.

Lionel Scaloni’s side largely controlled the first half through disciplined possession and fluid attacking play. With much of the squad that lifted the trophy in Qatar 2022 still intact, Argentina looked composed and determined in their bid to become only the third nation after Brazil and Italy to successfully defend a World Cup title.

World Cup-winning stars Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martínez once again formed the backbone of a team seeking back-to-back global triumphs, while Messi continued to dictate proceedings with his trademark influence.

Algeria, one of Africa’s strongest representatives, showed flashes of promise through captain Riyad Mahrez and rising talents Ibrahim Maza and Mohamed Amoura. However, Argentina’s well-organized defence and the assured presence of Martínez in goal denied them any clear-cut opportunities before the interval.

As the teams headed into the dressing rooms, Argentina held a narrow but valuable advantage, with Messi’s historic strike putting the reigning champions on course for a winning start to their World Cup title defence.