The 2026 World Cup delivered a packed Tuesday slate that immediately changed the tone of the tournament. France, Norway and Argentina all walked away with emphatic wins, with Lionel Messi’s first World Cup hat trick standing above the rest.
France opened the day with a 3-1 victory over Senegal, taking a key three points behind goals from Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola. Didier Deschamps got the kind of start he needed as France moved through its Group I opener with control.
Mbappé Leads France Past Senegal
Kylian Mbappé was central to France’s win, and the result gave the team an early cushion in Group I. Senegal could not recover after France found the decisive moments and turned the match into a comfortable opening-day statement.
Norway’s Return Is Built Around Haaland
Erling Haaland and Norway’s long-awaited return to the World Cup did not disappoint. The striker put together a first-half brace in a 4-1 win over Iraq, powering a lopsided result in the team’s opener.
That performance gave Norway a convincing start and underlined why its return drew so much attention. In a day full of high-profile names, Haaland made sure his side’s comeback was one of the most decisive stories.
Messi Delivers A Historic Night For Argentina
Then came Lionel Messi, who produced the first World Cup hat trick of his career in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City. He scored in the 17th minute, added another after halftime and completed the hat trick late before leaving to a standing ovation in the 80th minute.
According to sports.yahoo.com, Messi is now tied with Miroslav Klose for the most World Cup goals in history with 16. He will have a chance to move into first place Monday against Austria.
Argentina controlled the match after Messi’s second goal, while Algeria still had moments of pressure. Luca Zidane made a strong save to deny Messi earlier, and Riyad Mahrez entered in the 64th minute as Algeria searched for a spark.
The result gave the defending champions a clean opening win and gave Messi another milestone in a career already filled with them. Austria will be next for Argentina, while the rest of Tuesday’s Group I and Group J action continues to shape the early tournament picture.