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Messi Hattrick vs Algeria Ties World Cup Record, Sets Appearance Mark

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a hattrick against Algeria in the 2026 World Cup
United States men's national soccer team celebrating victory
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"It felt more like an artificial surface, quite hard and stiff," said Rabiot.

French head coach Didier Deschamps agreed, stating, "I think there is probably concrete underneath; the fibers are very short.

The ball bounces in a different way."

Deschamps echoed previous complaints made by Brazil's Vinícius Júnior after the Morocco versus Brazil fixture.

Other World Cup News

Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez praised striker Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their opening World Cup match against Congo, despite external doubts over the 41-year-old's starting position following poor warm-up performances.

"Within the team he is a crucial player. His numbers show how important he is in our attacking play.

Ronaldo is the finisher, but also the one who can create space for other players with his movements," said Martínez.

Martínez emphasized that the veteran forward, who is also entering his sixth career World Cup, remains fully committed to leading the national squad.

"It's his sixth World Cup, but I can say that internally it feels like his first World Cup in terms of intensity and emotional involvement and how important it is for him to be ready to lead the group," he added.

In other World Cup developments, Brazil's Neymar briefly returned to the training field but remains a doubt for the upcoming match against Haiti.

Erling Haaland scored twice to guide Norway to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in Boston.

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