- Lionel Messi stole the show — a first-ever World Cup hat-trick on his 200th Argentina cap, drawing level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals and becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick.
- Argentina looked patient and clinical in a 4-4-2, winning 3-0 despite Algeria enjoying spells of possession — they waited for Messi to get a yard and ended the game decisively.
- Algeria showed real attacking quality (Mahrez, Gouiri, Amoura, Aït-Nouri) and could be dangerous later in the tournament, but keeper Luca Zidane had a night to forget and cost them.
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