Lionel Messi needed just 17 minutes to make his mark at the 2026 World Cup.
Appearing in his sixth tournament, the Argentina captain was on hand to provide yet another moment of magic to give his country the lead against Algeria.
After a frantic opening 15 minutes that saw two goals disallowed – one for each team – parity was restored through the former Barcelona playmaker.
Receiving a delightful line-breaking pass from Rodrigo De Paul, Messi turned into space and drove towards goal.
He barely looked up before curling a left-footed strike away from Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane and into the top corner.
An eruption of noise followed in Kansas, celebrating another Messi goal in his 27th World Cup match.
And it is an all-too-familiar sight for fans around the world, many of whom have stayed up until the early hours of Wednesday morning to witness the magician on the biggest stage once again.
Make sure to continue following along as Argentina look to capitalise on their lead over Algeria right here on 101GreatGoals.
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