The Algeria national football team lost to Argentina 0-3 in the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick. The match ended 3-0 in favor of Argentina, with Messi scoring three goals. In the 76th minute, Messi scored Argentina's third goal, after a decisive pass from Nicolas Gonzalez. In the second half, the Algeria national football team tried to breach Argentina's defense without success. In the 86th minute, Mahrez took a direct free kick, but the Argentine defense wall blocked it. In the 90th minute, the regular time of the match ended, and the score was 3-0 in favor of Argentina. Six minutes of stoppage time were announced. In the 81st minute, Adel Belbina replaced Nabil Bentaleb, and Ramiz Zerouki replaced Ibrahim Maza. In the 80th minute, Nicolas Otamendi replaced Cristian Romero, and Nicolas Paz Martinez replaced Lionel Messi. In the 73rd minute, Messi fell to the ground inside the penalty area after a collision with Ait Nouri of Algeria, amidst crowd chants demanding a penalty for Argentina, and the referee signaled for play to continue due to no foul.