The footballing community - from awe-struck teammates and rival coaches to a glittering panel of global pundits -was left searching for answers, and adjectives, to describe a performance that felt both timeless and utterly supernatural.

Portuguese great Ronaldo, 41, has a tough act to follow after his old nemesis Lionel Messi scored a spectacular hat-trick for Argentina on Tuesday to equal the all-time World Cup goalscoring record, making a mockery of his 38 years.

Lionel Messi savoured a "beautiful moment" after becoming the World Cup's joint all-time leading goalscorer on Tuesday but said "ultimately, it is just a statistic, nothing more".

When the name Zidane appeared on the back of Algeria’s goalkeeper’s jersey against Argentina in their opening World Cup match, it inevitably brought back memories of one of France’s greatest ever footballers.

Austria were given a scare by World Cup debutants Jordan on Tuesday before securing a 3-1 win rounded off by a penalty in added time from veteran forward Marko Arnautovic.

Lionel Messi’s first World Cup hattrick saw him equal Miroslav Klose’s record 16 goals, but his landmark display was overshadowed by debate over a controversial challenge.

Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic said mistakes from his team had made it easier for Lionel Messi to score the hat-trick that saw him match the World Cupscoring record in Argentina's 3-0 victory in Kansas City on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old Argentina captain etched another memorable chapter in his glittering career with a brilliant hat-trick in the South Americans' 3-0 win over Algeria at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.

The World Cup has always been a stage where legends are born, dreams are realised and history is rewritten. But Tuesday offered something even rarer -- a spectacular celebration of football's past, present and future as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland all delivered unforgettable performances on the same day.

Lionel Messi became the first player to feature in six World Cups and marked the milestone with a hat trick to tie the all-time World Cup goals record

Messi netted a spectacular opener from distance in Kansas City, then poked home from close range before completing his first ever World Cup hat-trick to give him a total of 16 goals.

He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, sending the massed ranks of Argentine fans in Kansas City wild.

"There are still people out there who will criticise him but he is an extraordinary player. Not everything came off for him, but he can win games in one moment," Deschamps said of the Real Madrid superstar.

Lautaro Martinez will share attacking duties with Lionel Messi, who is appearing at a record sixth World Cup.

The Manchester City striker turned in from close range to give Norway the lead on 29 minutes in Boston, but Aymen Hussein's header brought Iraq level.

It was as if the Spanish Armada had descended upon Atlanta Stadium on Monday, where reigning European champions Spain took on World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener widely billed as one of the biggest mismatches of the tournament.

France shook themselves awake after a sleepy first half on Tuesday to beat Senegal 3-1 in the New York/New Jersey Stadium for a perfect start to their World Cup campaign.

Brazil forward Neymar, who was diagnosed with a right calf injury in late May, trained at the World Cup for the first time Tuesday in a sign he may be nearing a return.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday that one million fans have so far attended matches at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Sports can be very cruel. Often, it is the final image that leaves the deepest imprint on fans’ minds.