Argentina's Dominant Start: Messi's Hat-Trick in Opening Win

Defending champions Argentina already look like they remember the script. A 3-0 opening victory over Algeria, lit up by a Lionel Messi hat-trick, has done more than settle any early nerves. It has reset the tone of this World Cup: the holders are here to dominate, not just to defend.

Now comes the first real examination of that intent. Austria await in a top-of-the-table clash in Group J, a meeting of sides who both walked into the tournament with purpose and walked out of their first games with three points.

Messi sets the pace, Argentina set the standard

Argentina’s start could hardly have been cleaner. Messi, the talisman yet again, took charge of the opener against Algeria and turned it into a personal showcase. Three goals, a 3-0 scoreline, and the kind of authority that makes every other team in the group sit up a little straighter.

It wasn’t just the margin. It was the control. Argentina moved the ball with the assurance of reigning champions, shut down space when they had to, and trusted that when chances came, Messi would finish the job. He did, ruthlessly.

That win planted them at the top of Group J. It also sent a message to Austria: this isn’t just another group game. It’s a chance to disrupt the champions’ rhythm—or get swept up in it.

Austria ready to test the champions

Austria’s own start carried a different flavour but the same outcome. A 3-1 win over Jordan gave them both goals and confidence, enough to settle into second place and keep the group’s early narrative sharp.

They showed they can hurt teams, they showed they can manage a lead, and they showed they have no intention of being passengers in a group that contains the world champions. Against Argentina, the stakes rise. A win would flip the group on its head. Even a point would feel like a statement.

The question is whether they can withstand the kind of pressure Algeria could not. Argentina will come at them with tempo, with combinations around the box, with Messi drifting into pockets that defenders hate. Austria must decide: press high and risk the space behind, or sit deep and hope to survive the storm.

Jordan and Algeria fight to stay alive

While the spotlight swings toward Argentina and Austria, the other half of Group J faces a different reality. Jordan and Algeria meet with no points on the board and little room left for error.

Both sides know what this game is: a lifeline. Jordan, beaten 3-1 by Austria, showed they can create chances but struggled to keep the back door shut. Algeria, outclassed 3-0 by Argentina, need a response after a sobering introduction to the champions’ power.

One of them will finally get on the board. For the other, the World Cup could start to feel brutally short.

France push on, Iraq search for a foothold

Elsewhere, another heavyweight has already begun to move through the gears. France, two-time World Cup winners, opened with a 3-1 victory over Senegal, a result that underlined their usual blend of individual brilliance and tournament know-how.

They now face Iraq, who arrive with bruises from a 4-1 defeat to Norway. That loss left Iraq chasing both form and belief, and now they run into a French side that rarely shows mercy once it finds its stride.

France will expect to build on their start, sharpen their attack, and tighten any loose edges. Iraq must find resistance, organisation, and a way to disrupt a side that thrives when games become stretched.

Norway step in as Senegal seek a response

Norway, buoyed by that 4-1 win over Iraq, step up against Senegal with momentum already in their corner. Goals came freely in their opener, and they will not want to let that rhythm slip.

Senegal, though, are not built to fade quietly. Beaten by France, they now face a match that could define their group campaign. Lose again, and the climb becomes steep. Take something off a confident Norway side, and the picture changes fast.

Across these fixtures, patterns will start to form. Champions can tighten their grip, challengers can rise, and those on the brink can drag themselves back into the story—or fall out of it altogether.