Kylian Mbappé scored twice as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in their World Cup opener, surpassing Pelé with 14 career World Cup goals. Lionel Messi scored a hat trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0, equaling Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
After a quiet first half, Kylian Mbappé took over. The France captain scored twice as Les Bleus beat Senegal 3-1 in their World Cup opener, moving past Pelé with 14 career World Cup goals.
Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 66th minute before Bradley Barcola doubled France's lead late on. Senegal pulled one back in stoppage time, but Mbappé responded just 68 seconds later with a stunning long-range strike to seal the victory.
France had struggled early and were outshot in the first half, but Mbappé's brilliance turned the game around and gave the 2022 runners-up a winning start.
Lionel Messi rolled back the years with a sensational hat trick as defending champions Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their World Cup opener. The 39-year-old scored in both halves before completing the first World Cup hat trick of his career to a standing ovation from Argentina fans.
The three goals took Messi to 16 World Cup goals, drawing level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament's all-time leading scorer. He also became just the second player, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, to score in five different World Cups.
Twenty years after scoring on his World Cup debut, Messi once again stole the show, leading Argentina to the perfect start in their quest to retain the title.
Read the full article at Africanews →Lionel Messi scored a hat trick against Algeria, tying the men's World Cup goals record as Argentina defeated Algeria.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports event without political commentary or framing. The subject is purely athletic and non-political.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice as France defeated Senegal 3-1 in their World Cup opener, surpassing Pelé with 14 career World Cup goals. Lionel Messi scored a hat trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0, equaling Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on sports results and individual performances without any political commentary, framing, or bias. It provides factual information about match outcomes and player achievements without taking a stance or emphasizing any particular perspective.
The article reports on two matches from the 2026 World Cup: France's victory over Senegal and Lionel Messi's hat-trick in Argentina's match against Algeria.
Bias read (Center): The article covers sports results without political commentary, framing, or bias. It simply reports on match outcomes without taking a stance or emphasizing any particular perspective.