Lionel Messi produced another unforgettable World Cup moment as Argentina opened their title defence with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria. But while the world was talking about Messi’s historic hat-trick, another detail quickly turned the story into a viral football twist.
The goalkeeper beaten three times by Messi was Luca Zidane — the son of French legend Zinedine Zidane.
For football fans, that detail made the night even more dramatic. Messi and Zinedine Zidane are two of the greatest names in football history, and now the Argentine icon has created a new chapter involving the Zidane family at the World Cup.
Messi had already seen an early effort ruled out for offside, but he did not have to wait long to make his mark. He opened the scoring with a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the area, a shot that proved too strong for Luca Zidane in the Algeria goal.
The second goal came after the break, when Messi reacted quickly to a rebound after Luca had saved the first attempt. The Argentina captain showed his usual sharp instinct inside the box, turning a half-chance into another World Cup goal.
Then came the historic third. Messi received the ball from Nico Gonzalez and finished again with his famous left foot, completing his first ever World Cup hat-trick. The goal also took him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, putting him joint-top of the all-time scoring list.
For Luca Zidane, it was a painful night. The Algeria goalkeeper could do little to stop Messi’s brilliance, but the image of Zidane’s son conceding a hat-trick to the Argentine superstar immediately caught attention across social media.
Fans joked that Messi had somehow managed to “haunt the Zidane family” again, turning what was already a historic performance into one of the most talked-about stories of the tournament.
For Argentina, the victory was the perfect start. For Messi, it was another reminder that even at 38, he remains capable of deciding the biggest games on the biggest stage.
And for the Zidane family name, it was an unexpected World Cup night they may not want to remember.
