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KANSAS CITY — What strikes you most about watching Lionel Messi live isn't his movement, or his breathtaking first touch, or the almost supernatural way he commands the ball, or even his ability to shift seamlessly from idle to full throttle on the eve of his 39th birthday.
One of the most remarkable things about witnessing the Argentine icon is the sound.
First comes the absence of it—a brief, hushed stillness as every person in the stadium senses that the No. 10 is about to do something extraordinary. Then, as minds process what thousands of eyes are witnessing unfold, there is another moment of complete silence as the crowd holds its breath in anticipation.
Then, just as Messi makes contact with the ball, a low rumble begins building into a wave of pure, thunderous excitement. Even fans of the opposing side, fully aware of what may be coming, react the same way as they brace themselves for what one of the greatest players ever is about to unleash.
By the time the ball crosses the goal line, only the broadcast microphones—and those standing close enough at pitch level—can catch the distinct thud as it hits the back of the net. For everyone else, there is simply an eruption of noise.
These sequences of swelling and fading sound, almost as if conducted by an orchestra, played out again and again on Tuesday evening at Arrowhead Stadium—typically one of the noisiest venues on the planet during the NFL matches it usually hosts. The Group J opener in which defending World Cup champions Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Algeria may not have registered the same decibel peaks as American football does in that same arena, but what unfolded on the pitch echoed loudly enough to be felt around the world—three times over.
Lionel Messi Making the Extraordinary Ordinary
In a performance that defied his age, Messi was simply Messi—a soccer deity who seized control of the match once again in front of tens of thousands of devoted supporters, ultimately delivering a stunning hat-trick. It was his first at this stage of the competition and a historic milestone, as he drew level with German striker Miroslav Klose for the most goals ever scored in World Cup history with 16.
"Leo is very difficult to put into words. Even those of us who see him every day are left in awe. He's been the best player in the world for 20 years and he still delivers in every single game," said manager Lionel Scaloni through a translator, occasionally shaking his head in disbelief. "You don't have to support Argentina to appreciate what he's doing at 38 years old."
That was precisely why tens of thousands made the journey to the windswept heartland of America this week.
Throughout the city of fountains, Messi No. 10 shirts were everywhere, as if they'd been given away for free at every street corner. Fans formed long queues outside legendary barbecue spots like Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que and filled the outdoor seating at trendier establishments like Q39. When not sampling the local food scene, you could spot hundreds of the classic blue and white kits bearing his name in local parks, alongside flags honoring fellow legend Diego Maradona. At convenience stores and in the FIFA Fan Zone downtown, the occasional Barcelona shirt made an appearance. His current Inter Miami version was, naturally, scattered throughout the crowd—worn by those whose loyalty belonged to the man himself before the nation he represents over the coming weeks.
For those fortunate enough to be inside the stadium—having endured hours of traffic delays on the roads outside—as Messi became the first player ever to appear in six World Cups, they were treated to a spectacle worthy of the moment. Even the opposition could only look on in disbelief.
"Messi doing Messi things," said Algeria midfielder Ibrahim Maza, who completed several dribbles and contributed a reasonably lively attacking display in his country's first World Cup match in a decade. "I don't think I need to explain it. You just have to watch the game—you know it when you see it. Messi things."
Indeed, if anyone thought time had finally caught up with Messi, they were reminded once again that it had not, as he glided through the final third with the same effortless grace he regularly displays in his domestic league, MLS. Fittingly, he did so this time in a pair of gleaming new adidas boots in Argentina's national colors, inscribed on the sole with the words El Último Tango—the last dance.
If this is merely a preview of what he has in store for this tournament, then successfully defending the World Cup title may be the least of the opposition's concerns.
"Class is permanent. We are not talking about just any footballer," a composed Vladimir Petkovic, the Fennecs' head coach, said through a translator. "He has the privilege of an entire Argentina team that works and sacrifices for him. And for years—decades, even—he has done extraordinary things. Argentina had 10 shots today and seven of them came from Messi."
It was almost as though Messi had taken note of Kylian Mbappe's sensational display for France earlier in the day and the spectacle Erling Braut Haaland had put on for Norway out in Boston. Not bad, he might have thought to himself while warming up ahead of his 200th cap for La Albiceleste, simultaneously extending his own World Cup appearance record to 27.
But what the next generation is capable of still doesn't quite measure up to what the benchmark of the past two decades can still produce at his best.
A Hat-trick to Remember
Messi's opening goal was a textbook illustration of his brilliance. After collecting a perfectly weighted through ball from club teammate Rodrigo De Paul, he turned sharply, cushioned the ball with a delicate left-footed touch, drove forward, and unleashed a shot of remarkable power for a man of his frame. The ball did clip the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Luca Zidane, but deflected into the net in the 17th minute.
It was Argentina's first official shot on target and somehow made a mockery of the 0.09 xG it was assigned.
Messi's second in the 60th minute was a stark contrast—perhaps one of the simplest he has ever scored at this level, setting aside the penalties he converts with near-mechanical precision. It was also a vivid reminder that, despite being just over a week away from another birthday, his reading of the game is so advanced that he might as well be bending the laws of physics, Matrix-style.
To complete the treble in the 76th minute—and justify the eye-watering ticket prices for most in attendance—Messi did what he has done hundreds of times across his 900-plus career goals. After finding space between the lines to receive a layoff that he brought under control with ease, he simply drove a shot from the edge of the box that arrowed into the bottom left corner, producing the loudest roar of the night.
The oldest hat-trick scorer in World Cup history.
Lionel Andres Messi will not be stopped. pic.twitter.com/JcOoN7Unxq
Even his teammates appeared momentarily stunned, several pausing for a beat before rushing over to celebrate together, just as they had done twice before.
Before midfielder Alexis Mac Allister had even struck his long-range effort from outside the area, Messi was already drifting at a subtle angle away from goal—instinctively anticipating where Zidane (son of the legendary Zinedine Zidane) would spill the ball if he failed to hold it. He could not, parrying it directly onto Messi's waiting inside foot for a composed tap-in.
"Everyone sees him as a god, yet they also see him as just a regular guy from the neighborhood whenever they want to have a chat," said Scaloni, who was a teammate of Messi during his first World Cup in 2006 in Germany and was visibly emotional after substituting him off in the 80th minute. "We're all human beings. Football will come to an end one day. It's wonderful that everyone gets to enjoy it while it lasts."
In every sense of the word, they truly did.
From the hush of silence to the roars that followed—three times—in a World Cup performance that carved its place into history.