Lionel Messi became the second player to score in five World Cups, giving defending champion Argentina an early 1-0 lead over Algeria on Tuesday night. Making his record sixth appearance in the tournament, the eight-time Ballon dOr winner found a crease in the Algerian defense and easily beat goalkeeper Luca Zidane for his 14th World Cup goal, sending a blue-and-white-clad crowd packed inside Arrowhead Stadium into delirium. Moments earlier, Messi had a goal disallowed for offsides. Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal as the only players with goals in five World Cups. Ronaldo became the first in 2022 and is set to play in his sixth World Cup on Wednesday. Miroslav Klose of Germany holds the record for World Cup goals with 16, one ahead of Brazil great Ronaldo. Messis latest highlight pulled him into a tie for third on the career list with Kylian Mbappe who scored two goals in Frances 3-1 win over Senegal earlier Tuesday and Gerd Muller of West Germany. The goal came 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in a match against Serbia and Montenegro. Messi, who turns 39 next week, had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury with Inter Miami had slowed him in the lead-up to the World Cup. But he had no problems in a tuneup last week with Iceland, scoring on a penalty kick while playing 20 minutes. Messis appearance against Algeria was the 200th of his international career, which began in 2005 at the age of 18. The only players with more are Portugal's Ronaldo, who will play in his 229th on Wednesday against Congo, and Bader al-Mutawa, who played in his 202nd match for Kuwait in 2002. Messi-mania has swept through Kansas City ever since Argentinas arrival. On match day, thousands of fans wearing his No. 10 jersey trekked into the home of the NFLs Chiefs on the outskirts of Kansas City. Meanwhile, at a watch party at the downtown Power & Light District, a real-life goat accompanied by former NFL quarterback-turned Fox broadcaster Jameis Winston came on stage wearing the same blue-and-white Argentina jersey. The argument that Messi is soccers GOAT greatest of all time is becoming no argument at all with every World Cup goal. Reporting by the Associated Press.

SportsLine's Jon Eimer reveals his Jordan vs. Austria best bets for World Cup 2026 action

The scoreline told one story, but Aymen Hussein has another to tell.He was on the losing side as Iraq suffered a 4-1 defeat by Norway in their World Cup opener, yet the prolific striker made his mark on football's biggest stage. Hussein's superb header in the 39th minute cancelled out Erling Haaland's opener and gave the Iraq supporters a moment to cherish on the country's return to the tournament after 40 years. Though it ultimately proved only a consolation - and was later offset by his own goal - it was still just Iraq's second-ever World Cup finals goal."He's that type of player who is very difficult to control in the box and I'm very happy and proud of him," said Iraq head coach Graham Arnold. And yet Hussein's journey to the World Cup is one that could easily have taken a different turn. 'This is what the World Cup brings'Aymen Hussein made his international debut for Iraq in 2015 [Reuters]Hussein grew up in an Iraq where football offered moments of unity amid turmoil.The national team's 2007 Asian Cup triumph against the odds sparked celebrations across the country.The Iraqi players were semi-professionals who were forced to prepare for the tournament in Jordan because of a security crisis at home that was claiming tens of thousands of lives every year. Their shock semi-final victory over South Korea was marred by a suicide-bomb attack on celebrating supporters in Baghdad which killed dozens.The young Hussein also endured personal tragedy. He was 12 years old, in 2008, when his father - a soldier in the Iraqi army - was shot dead by al-Qaeda while out buying materials for the construction of their home.Further tragedy struck a few years later when his older brother was kidnapped during a period of unrest and has not been seen since."I decided to quit playing football to take care of my family, but my mother refused," Hussein said in an interview.Instead, she urged Hussein to pursue his dream - one that has seen him guide Iraq to their first World Cup since 1986. Though the path to it has been anything but smooth for the 30-year-old.Hussein's build-up to the World Cup was disrupted when he was detained and questioned for about seven hours at Chicago's O'Hare airport upon arriving in the United States earlier this month. He was eventually allowed in - unlike Iraq's team photographer Talal Salah.When Hussein rose to head past Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, it was a proud moment.Hussein keeps goals flowing for IraqHussein's impact against Norway will not have come as a surprise for those who have followed his rise closely. Since 2023, he has been a consistent performer for the Lions of Mesopotamia with his aerial dominance and sharp shooting inside the box.He was Iraq's standout performer during their historic World Cup qualification campaign, scoring 12 goals - more than double that of any team-mate - as they reached the tournament via the inter-confederation play-offs. It was Hussein who delivered when it mattered most in the qualifiers, striking the winner in a 2-1 victory over Bolivia in Guadalupe in March which sealed their World Cup berth. However, there were questions over his form heading into the World Cup after a season where he struggled for minutes at his club Al-Karma. He has answered the doubters with a resilient display against one of the most exciting teams in the tournament, taking his chance in the midst of adversity. "He has had quite a few injuries during the season and for him to get through 90 minutes with that energy and scoring a goal was fantastic," Arnold said. If Hussein can maintain that level, Iraq may yet believe they can progress from a challenging Group I that also includes 2022 runners-up France and Senegal.World Cup fixtures and group standingsHow to watch the World Cup on the BBCEverything you need to know about the World Cup

Kylian Mbapp made history with a pair of goals that sent France on their way to a Group I-opening win over Senegal.

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Erling Haaland has made a habit of scoring debut goals in the big competitions. He did it in the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the Premier League. Now he has done it at the World Cup too.

Am 1. Gruppenspieltag trifft Titelverteidiger Argentinien in Kansas auf Algerien. Das Spiel live hren![mehr]

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