What started as a match of offside goals suddenly turned into a contest that broke records and rewrote history.
Lionel Messi registered the first World Cup hat-trick of his career while moving into a tie for first place on the tournament's all-time scoring list, leading defending champions Argentina to a dominant 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener.
Messi scored his first goal in the opening minutes on Tuesday night from a fine pass by Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. He added the second on a rebound early in the second half. Shortly after completing his hat-trick with a strike from the edge of the penalty area, he was substituted to a standing ovation from a heavily pro-Argentina crowd.
The three goals took his World Cup tally to 16, drawing him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the all-time record. They also allowed him to join Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo as one of only two players to have scored in five different World Cups.
"The first matches at the World Cup are always tough," Messi said after playing in the tournament for a record-setting sixth time. "And we're seeing that nobody's giving anything away."
Well, almost nothing. Algeria made crucial mistakes on Messi's first two goals, which came exactly 20 years after he made his World Cup debut for Argentina in a match against Serbia and Montenegro — a game in which he also scored.
"We're not talking about any ordinary footballer," Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic said. "Unfortunately, we also gave him the opportunity with the first and second goals, 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 much more easily."
Messi's brilliant hat-trick helped Argentina make a far better start than at their previous World Cup. Four years ago, La Albiceleste were beaten by Saudi Arabia in their opening match in Qatar, only to recover and win their third world title.
"The first match is always tricky," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
"We had stumbled in the last World Cup and we needed to have a good start today."
Messi, who turns 39 next week, nearly scored two more goals against Algeria and never looked troubled by the minor hamstring injury that had worried fans before the tournament. One effort found the back of the net but was ruled out for a marginal offside, while another shot in the second half narrowly cleared the crossbar.
He was influential defensively as well, helping Argentina contain the overmatched Les Fennecs.
"Argentina have a special player who can change a game on his own," Algeria star Riyad Mahrez said.
Algeria's best chance came in the opening minutes when Fares Chaibi thought he had scored, only for a VAR review to show he was offside. Messi scored moments later, and the rest of the night belonged to him and Argentina.
"I like playing football. It's been my passion since I was little," Messi said.
"When I'm in good shape, I give it my all."
The match at Arrowhead Stadium fulfilled the long-held dream of the late Lamar Hunt, who not only founded the NFL franchise that calls the venue home but also played a key role in the growth of football in the United States from the 1960s through the early 2000s.
Hunt played a major role in helping the United States host the 1994 World Cup. His sons, Clark and Dan, have continued that legacy with this edition of the tournament.
Among those in attendance on a picture-perfect evening in the Heartland were Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany. Mahomes traded his usual red-and-yellow football uniform for a blue tracksuit and white shirt.
With 16 World Cup goals, Messi moved level with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup finals history. Kansas City gave the football legend a standing ovation for rewriting the record books.
Argentina will continue their pursuit of back-to-back titles in Arlington, Texas, when they face Austria on Monday and Jordan on June 27. Algeria will play Jordan on Monday in Santa Clara, California, before facing Austria in their Group J finale on June 27 in Kansas City.
"The goal," De Paul said, "is always to arrive on the first day and leave on the last."