Lionel Messi's skills were still overwhelming, as if he had forgotten his age. Messi, who entered the World Cup for the sixth time in his life at the young age of 38, proved his class by tenaciously penetrating Algeria's defense from the start of the game. In the 17th minute of the first half, a precise left-footed shot near the arc circle hit Algeria's net, giving Argentina the lead, and he later scored in the 15th and 31st minutes of the second half, completing his first career hat trick in the World Cup finals. This result went beyond a simple 3-0 victory and became a symbolic event that showed the world that Argentina was a strong candidate to win this tournament. Argentina's attacking tactics centered around Messi throughout the game were organic, and they showed unwavering organization despite strong pressure from the opponent.

Another point to watch in this matchup was the presence of Luca Zidane, who guarded Algeria's goal. Luca, well known as the son of French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane, took on a new challenge by choosing Algeria, his father's hometown. Although he had to suffer a bitter defeat by conceding three goals to Messi's shower of shots, Luca Zidane showed a fighting spirit that seemed to have inherited his father's genes, showing a decisive save in a 1-on-1 situation with Messi in the 20th minute of the second half. Outside the stadium, fans wearing Zidane masks cheered enthusiastically, proving that his popularity has not waned, and the fact that the son of a legend proudly stepped up as the starting goalkeeper on the big stage of the World Cup itself became a narrative that aroused the interest of this tournament.

Zidane's influence on and off the pitch is another cultural phenomenon of the tournament. Fans wearing masks symbolizing Zidane and cheering were captured throughout the stadium, including at the Guadalajara Fan Festival, symbolically showing what kind of presence Zinedine Zidane has been to soccer fans across the ages. The background to his son Luca Zidane's playing as a member of the Algerian national team reflects his philosophy of emphasizing family roots, which serves as a bridge connecting the football history of the two countries, France and Algeria. Although he faced a huge wall called Messi in this match, the weight of the name Zidane gave fans a strong sense of nostalgia and emotion regardless of the result of the match.

Argentina's journey to its second consecutive World Cup title is both smooth and threatening. Messi's process of overcoming poor physical condition and regaining his sense of practice gives great hope to the Argentine coaching staff, and the role he plays as a mental supporter of the entire team is unrivaled. The biggest concern in the remaining tournaments has emerged as to how far Messi, who has overcome the negative news of a hamstring injury, will be able to break his scoring record in this tournament, and whether he will be able to surpass Klose's career scoring record. Argentina has a solid midfield and attack team, including Messi, De Paul, and Lautaro Martinez, and the destructive power they will show in this tournament is expected to be even stronger than in previous tournaments.