Messi magic continues, scores 15th World Cup goal to move closer to Klose's record

Lionel Messi once again produced the moment Argentina needed.

The Argentine captain scored his 15th FIFA World Cup goal to double his side''s lead against Algeria, putting the defending champions 2-0 ahead just after the hour mark and taking another significant step towards football history.

Messi struck in the 60th minute, finishing off another outstanding display after already dominating the first half. The goal saw him draw level with Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario on 15 World Cup goals, leaving only Germany's Miroslav Klose (16) ahead of him on the tournament''s all-time scoring chart.

It was another memorable night for the 39-year-old, whose influence had been evident from the opening whistle.

Messi thought he had opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute, only for the assistant referee''s flag to rule out the goal for offside. Algeria briefly celebrated a goal of their own later in the half, but that too was disallowed.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 17th minute. Receiving the ball from Rodrigo De Paul around 25 yards from goal, Messi unleashed a brilliant strike beyond the goalkeeper to give Argentina a deserved lead. The goal was his 14th in World Cup history and ensured Lionel Scaloni''s side went into the break with a 1-0 advantage.

Scaloni made his first change at halftime, introducing Nahuel Molina for Gonzalo Montiel. Ten minutes into the second half, Lautaro Martínez came close to extending the lead, but Algeria goalkeeper Luka Zidane produced an excellent save.

The Argentina coach then freshened up his attack in the 55th minute, sending on Julian Alvarez and Nicolas González in place of Lautaro Martínez and Thiago Almada.

Five minutes later came the inevitable Messi moment.

The captain found the net once again to put the result beyond doubt, continuing his remarkable World Cup legacy while edging ever closer to Klose''s all-time record.