Day 7: Messi's hat-trick for the ages as England edge a Croatia classic

Three groups finally got going on Day 7, and the tournament saved one of its loudest nights for the late shift. Groups J, K and L all kicked off their campaigns across five matches — and if you only had time for one highlight, you already know whose it was. Lionel Messi rolled back two decades to author a hat-trick that rewrote the record books in Kansas City, then handed the baton to a chaotic, six-goal English night in Texas.

Around those headliners, the underdogs did the writing. Jordan and Congo DR — one a debutant, the other back at the World Cup for the first time in 52 years — both scored their nations’ first-ever goals on this stage. Ghana left it until the literal last kick. It was a day of milestones, history and a couple of genuine frights for the favourites. Let’s run through it.

Argentina 3-0 Algeria: Messi turns back the clock

The holders began their defence exactly as they would have scripted it. Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 at Arrowhead Stadium, and the night belonged entirely to a 38-year-old playing in his sixth World Cup. Messi opened on 17 minutes, taking Rodrigo De Paul’s pass and bending a gorgeous strike beyond Luca Zidane. He doubled it on the hour, pouncing on a parried Alexis Mac Allister effort, and completed the set on 76 with a curled finish — teed up, fittingly, by Nico González.

The numbers are staggering. It was Messi’s first hat-trick at a World Cup, and it pulled him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 goals at the top of the all-time scoring chart, as Sky Sports noted, with the treble also moving him clear of Pelé for the most goal involvements in World Cup history per Al Jazeera. All of it arrived almost two decades to the day after his World Cup debut as a teenager in 2006.

It wasn’t flawless. Yahoo Sports flagged a 32nd-minute studs-down challenge on Aïssa Mandi that went unpunished by referee Szymon Marciniak, and Algeria had an eighth-minute Farès Chaïbi goal chalked off for offside. But Argentina’s keeper was never seriously tested — Algeria managed zero shots on target — and when Messi was withdrawn late, the heavily pro-Argentina crowd rose as one. “At a loss for words about Leo,” coach Lionel Scaloni told Al Jazeera. “What can I say? He’s incredible.” A far cry from the Saudi Arabia shock that opened Qatar 2022.

Austria 3-1 Jordan: Arnautović ends a 36-year wait

The other Group J opener was far scrappier — and far more dramatic at the death. Austria saw off tournament debutants Jordan 3-1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, sealing the points with a Marko Arnautović penalty in the twelfth minute of stoppage time. (If the endless added time keeps catching you out, our new-rules explainer is worth a read.)

Romano Schmid bent in a lovely opener on 21 minutes, but Jordan refused to wilt. Ali Olwan levelled five minutes after the break, drilling inside the far post to become the first Jordanian ever to score at a World Cup. Austria thought they’d retaken the lead through Arnautović on 67, only for VAR to rule it out for a handball in the build-up. The breakthrough came instead off a corner that deflected in via the unfortunate Yazan Al-Arab for an own goal, before Arnautović — now Austria’s oldest World Cup scorer — settled it from the spot after another VAR check spotted a Jordan handball.

For all the late heartbreak, the debutants impressed. As Sky Sports pointed out, this was Austria’s first World Cup win in 36 years on their return after a 28-year absence — and they needed two VAR-assisted moments to get over the line against a side ranked rank outsiders.

Portugal 1-1 Congo DR: history in Houston

The day’s biggest upset on paper landed at NRG Stadium, where Portugal were held 1-1 by Congo DR in front of 68,777 fans, per FIFA. João Neves headed Roberto Martínez’s side ahead inside six minutes after a slick move down the right — and then Portugal simply stopped creating. Sofascore logged that header as their only shot on target all night.

Congo DR made them pay right before half-time. Arthur Masuaku whipped in a cross and Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa met it at close range for 1-1 in first-half stoppage time — the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal, arriving 52 years after their 1974 debut as Zaïre, as noted by FIFA. They defended in a deep back five, won their duels and rode their luck when Cédric Bakambu rattled a post.

It was a sobering night for Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match, but ESPN reported he spurned two big chances and stretched his goalless run in major tournaments to ten games. João Cancelo thought he’d won it with a 55th-minute bicycle kick, only for the flag to go up. Portugal dominated the ball — Sofascore had them at 75% possession — but a point felt like grand larceny for the Africans, and a warning for the favourites.

England 4-2 Croatia: a thriller with a familiar foe

Eight years after Croatia ended their dream in the 2018 semi-final, England got their answer — though they made hard work of it. At AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, England won a breathless Group L opener 4-2 in Thomas Tuchel’s first World Cup in charge.

Harry Kane converted an early penalty, but Croatia twice clawed level before the break — Martin Baturina finishing a Petar Sučić move, then Petar Musa heading in Ivan Perišić’s knock-down deep in stoppage time, sandwiching Kane’s second, a header from Declan Rice’s corner. The match turned two minutes after the restart: Jude Bellingham drove through midfield and lashed home, and substitute Marcus Rashford applied the gloss on 85 after a slick break finished off by Bukayo Saka.

Kane’s double moved him level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals for England, per Sky Sports, while ESPN clocked England racking up 22 shots — and Croatia keeper Dominik Livaković making the kind of saves that kept the margin respectable. There was plenty for Tuchel to fix at the back, where England looked jittery all night. But the 40-year-old Luka Modrić, withdrawn on 58 minutes in what may be his final World Cup, was left to watch a new England era announce itself with menace going forward.

Ghana 1-0 Panama: snatched at the death

The night ended in rain-soaked drama in Toronto. Ghana beat Panama 1-0 at BMO Field with quite literally the last meaningful kick — Caleb Yirenkyi tapping in Brandon Thomas-Asante’s cross at 90+5 for his first international goal, and breaking Panamanian hearts in the process.

According to Opta Analyst, the goal landed at 94:04 — Ghana’s latest ever at a World Cup, edging Asamoah Gyan’s famous 2010 strike against the USA — and it denied Panama what would have been their first-ever World Cup point. It was rough on a spirited Panama side who arguably had the better openings; Cecilio Waterman forced an early Lawrence Ati Zigi save, and a last-ditch Jiovany Ramos challenge denied Jordan Ayew from Thomas-Asante’s cross. Ghana managed just one shot in the entire first half, a tournament-low-equalling tally per Opta, so Carlos Queiroz will know the finishing must sharpen.

There was a milestone on the touchline, too: with Ghana, Queiroz is now at his fifth successive World Cup with a different team — after Portugal in 2010 and Iran across the next three editions — becoming just the second coach after Bora Milutinović to manage at five in a row, as beIN Sports noted.

Standings and what’s next

In Group J, Argentina and Austria both have three points, with Argentina on top by virtue of goal difference; Algeria and Jordan must regroup. Group K is finely poised — Portugal and Congo DR share a point each, while Uzbekistan and Colombia have yet to open their accounts. In Group L, England and Ghana lead the way on three points apiece, leaving Croatia and Panama already chasing.

A quick reminder of the stakes in the 48-team format: the top two in every group advance to the round of 32, joined by the eight best third-placed sides — so even Day 1 defeats are far from fatal.

The fixtures only get juicier. Argentina meet Austria on June 22 in what’s already a Group J table-topper. Group L delivers a winners’ clash of its own on June 23 as England face Ghana, with Panama and Croatia meeting the same day in a contest neither can afford to lose. Portugal, meanwhile, look to find their finishing boots against Uzbekistan on June 23. Keep an eye on the full schedule and follow every kick with live scores.