Aissa Mandi admits ruthless Lionel Messi was too good for Algeria in World Cup defeat

Lionel Messi equalled the all-time FIFA World Cup goal scoring record with three goals as Argentina kicked off their title defence with a 3-0 victory over the North Africans in a Group J fixture in Kansas City, Missouri, United States.

Messi and Algeria's Fares Chaibi both had efforts ruled out for offside in a breathless opening, but Argentina's captain soon made his mark with a superb finish.

The Inter Miami forward picked up possession 30 yards from goal, and expertly danced past his marker, surged forward before curling a superb finish beyond the stretching hands of Luca Zidane.

Messi’s second goal soon followed, with Zidane unable to hold Mac Allister's powerful effort, allowing the Argentine star to react quickly on the rebound and finish with his right foot.

The 38-year-old sealed his hat-trick with a trademark curling finish from the edge of the area, capping his 200th senior international appearance in style, and plunging Algeria to their first defeat of the 2026 World Cup.

His performance left Algeria shocked with the outcome and speaking after the game, Mandi, who plays for Lille, admitted Messi’s efficiency was formidable, and as much as they tried to stop him, he was too good ‘for us’.

Messi made the difference

“What made the difference is that they have a player who is ruthless, almost every chance he gets ends up in the back of the net,” Mandi told FIFA.com.

“He might be the best player of all time. His efficiency is formidable; we knew that. We tried to shut him down as much as possible, but it didn't work – he was too good for us there.”

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said of Messi: “I don't have the words to describe (Lionel) Messi. For 20 years, he's had us used to seeing things like this, and he inspires everyone who watches him play.

“We’re going to take it one game at a time. The team is happy; we gave playing time to a lot of players. Hopefully we can win the next one so everyone can be in the third group game.”

Algeria will face Jordan next

Algeria are making their fifth appearance at the global stage. Their best-ever performance came at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, where they advanced to the knockout stages for the first time and were narrowly defeated 2-1 by eventual champions Germany in extra time.

The Fennecs advanced from a group that included Belgium, South Korea, and Russia. Notably, their 4-2 victory over South Korea made them the first African team to score at least four goals in a single World Cup match.

They reached the Round of 16, pushing Germany to a thrilling 2-1 extra-time loss. Algeria can still make it to the group stage of the 2026 edition if they manage to win their remaining two fixtures, and the other results go their way.