Lionel Messi, Argentina and the traveling circus come to town as Kansas City makes World Cup debut

KANSAS CITY — This was supposed to be Kansas City's big night, making history as the city hosts a World Cup game for the first time, but Lionel Messi had to go and steal the show and make it all about himself.

Messi's magical performance is all anyone anywhere is going to remember or talk about for days. The first World Cup hat trick of his career, to tie German legend Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup history (16); that he scored all three goals and Argentina began their world title defense with a resounding 3-0 victory over Algeria in America's Heartland on Tuesday; that at just a week shy of 39 years old, the magic is far from gone.

69,405 showed up here expecting to be entertained, ooh'd and aah'd and wow'd, and still he exceeded expectations. Messi had them in the palm of his hand for the 80 minutes he required to collect his goals. Even upon becoming the first men's player to play in six World Cups, Messi remains the ultimate showman, still making it look effortless as he runs circles around world-class players a decade (or two) younger than him.

There were questions about how much Messi had left in the tank ahead of this tournament (fairly so), but all was made abundantly clear on Argentina's opening night: He's nowhere near done, and you're going to have to come and take the World Cup from them.

MORE — Came, saw, conquered: Messi adds KC to his list (April 2024)

The only thing left for Messi to do now is to separate himself from Diego Maradona with a second (straight) World Cup victory. Maradona famously led Argentina to the 1986 title and achieved football immortality, just as Messi did four years ago in Qatar . Right now, it's Maradona and Messi. Win another one, history reads "Messi and Maradona" forever.

I used to think the World Cup was all about crowning the best footballing nation in the world, but then the World Cup came to my hometown and that changed within a week.

I fell in love with soccer during the 2002 World Cup when the USMNT was (in)famously robbed by Germany in the quarterfinals. I've watched it religiously ever since. I've been to games as a fan on every coast and covered the game domestically and abroad for more almost 15 years now. I've been in the building for an MLS Cup final, U.S. Open Cup finals and even a couple other Messi games since he joined Inter Miami ; Kansas City Chiefs playoff games, complete with an AFC Championship in this very venue. All very formative sports memories for me. I thought I had felt the spirit of sport before. I was wrong.