Messi rolls back the years as Ronaldo falters: First round of World Cup games deliver

[h2]Messi's still got it[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a]'s World Cup odyssey appeared to reach its perfect climax in Qatar four years ago when he lifted the trophy. Or so we thought.[/p][p]As his 39th birthday approaches, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] captain could not resist one last crack at football's biggest prize and he produced a memorable hat-trick in Kansas City.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/algeria-nc87N1BR/argentina-f9OppQjp/?mid=UP9bEsOr"]Messi's goals against Algeria[/a] - two thunderous strikes and a poacher's finish - took him level with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klose-miroslav/tO31cZrF/"]Miroslav Klose[/a]'s all-time World Cup record of 16 goals.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] is two goals behind.[/p][p][b]"In the end, it's just a statistic and nothing more,"[/b] a delighted Messi said.[/p][embed guid="82fdfd84-3d69-4b12-8468-3d01047c1ef0" url="https://x.com/itvfootball/status/2067107959549702571" social-type="twitter" /][p]No set of numbers can adequately sum up Messi's genius, but they help tell the story of a man who continues to dazzle on the global stage.[/p][p]Against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austria/naHiWdnt/"]Austria[/a] on Monday, Messi has the chance to claim the record outright, further strengthening his case as the greatest player the game has ever seen.[/p][h2]Toothless Ronaldo[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Cristiano Ronaldo[/a] took centre stage in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a]'s opening match against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/6LHwBDGU/"]Democratic Republic of Congo[/a] after three of football's biggest stars lit up the first round of matches.[/p][p]Kylian Mbappe and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] both scored twice as the race for the Golden Boot got off to a flying start, while Lionel Messi outshone them all with a hat-trick.[/p][p]Saudi-based Ronaldo, however, was largely a bystander in the first match of his sixth World Cup as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/d-r-congo-phn9mm8H/portugal-WvJrjFVN/?mid=4zTHJLbM"]Portugal laboured to a 1-1 draw in Houston.[/a][/p][p]The 41-year-old's 25 touches were his fewest in a game at a major tournament for Portugal when playing the full match.[/p][image alt="Ronaldo heat map v DR Congo" id="37b51cae-849d-4024-8557-c9f1c366686d" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform / REUTERS/Phil Noble/Opta by Stats Perform" guid="f970a002-817f-429f-a133-90a19cc9d505" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]And Ronaldo, who is closing in on 1,000 career goals for club and country, has now gone 10 consecutive games at major tournaments without finding the net.[/p][p]Coach Roberto Martinez faces an unenviable decision over whether to drop a player who has enjoyed one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the game.[/p][h2]Cape Verde make case for 48-team tournament[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a] goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vozinha/Q9F1vw7H/"]Vozinha[/a] breaking down in tears as he was embraced by his team-mates was one of the defining images of the opening round as the archipelago of just over 500,000 people [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/cape-verde-MocyWdm7/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=Iiqjm5Pq"]shut down European champions Spain in a goalless draw.[/a][/p][p]La Roja were expected to stroll to victory in Atlanta but came up against the inspired 40-year-old keeper and a nation determined to make a mark on their World Cup debut.[/p][embed guid="bd7fd767-f5d9-45a7-9b8c-96020b953837" url="https://x.com/BBCMOTD/status/2066590943294234922" social-type="twitter" /][p]In doing so, Cape Verde also landed a blow to critics of the expanded 48-team tournament, including UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, who claimed the format would lead to "completely uninteresting" matches.[/p][p]Vozinha's heroics made him an instant social media sensation.[/p][p]From having 50,000 Instagram followers before the match, he now has nearly 13 million, more than NFL icon [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dorgu-patrick/Sf4eaXAH/"]Patrick Mahomes[/a] and NBA star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osimhen-victor/23YHG47R/"]Victor Wembanyama[/a].[/p][h2]Full stadiums despite costly tickets[/h2][p]The sight of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which hosted the Super Bowl this year, packed to near-capacity for the meeting of Austria and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pickford-jordan/SKTJdUtH/"]Jordan[/a] on Tuesday - perhaps not the most glamorous fixture - proved that high ticket prices are not putting off spectators at this World Cup.[/p][p]FIFA said the official attendance of 68,527 was part of the total 281,223 fans who passed through the turnstiles on Tuesday, surpassing the previous World Cup record for a single day of 277,070, established on June 28, 1994.[/p][h2]Referees rein in the red cards[/h2][p]Only four red cards were shown at each of the last two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022, in a notable decrease from previous tournaments.[/p][p]It looked like we might be on course for a free-for-all flurry of sendings-off this time when three players were dismissed in the opening game as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/mexico-O6iHcNkd/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=h4EoUB7T"]10-man co-hosts Mexico beat nine-man South Africa 2-0.[/a][/p][p]But it appears that performance from Brazilian official Wilton Sampaio has led to FIFA encouraging referees to be more prudent about reaching for the red.[/p][p]Not a single player was sent off in the next 23 games.[/p][infobox id="223b89ff-ddb8-4772-8cfb-8f89aea85267" /]