Messi's hat-trick - his first ever at a FIFA World Cup - vaulted him alongside Germany's Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in the tournament's history with 16 goals.

Next on the list is Brazilian great Ronaldo, with 15 goals, one ahead of Gerd Muller and current France star Kylian Mbappe.

"To enjoy this with my family, with my teammates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment," Inter Miami star Messi said. "I'm happy."

He added: "It's an honour to be there, given what it means to stand alongside Klose or the others.

"Ronaldo is there too but I don't think it means anything - Mbappe as well, who scored two today (in a 3-1 win against Senegal). In the end, it's just a statistic and nothing more."

Messi's razor-sharp eye for goal augurs well for Argentina's hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles.

"The squad, it's a very united, very strong group," he said. "I feel good. We were lucky enough to win a tough match. It's important to start off with a win in the first game.

"I'm grateful to the fans, because once again they've shown that Argentina is crazy about this - we packed the stadium again."

Sources: AFP, FIFA via Getty Images