Lionel Messi has explained why he broke down in tears after scoring Argentina’s opening goal in their 3-0 victory over Algeria.
The Argentina captain on Wednesday delivered a masterclass performance with a hat trick as defending champions defeated the North Africans in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J opener.
Yet the enduring image of the night was not one of his three goals, but of the Inter Miami captain, visibly emotional and in tears immediately after opening the scoring.
Speaking after the match, the 38-year-old Messi explained that his tears had nothing to do with football.
“I cried after the first goal, yes… but it was something completely unrelated to football.
“I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength,” he said, according to Metro Sports.
Messi found the net in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes, registering his first World Cup hat-trick and moving level with Miroslav Klose on 16 career World Cup goals.
The strike also marked his 14th World Cup goal overall and came on the occasion of his 200th appearance for Argentina and his sixth World Cup tournament.
At nearly 39 years old, Messi became the oldest player to score both a World Cup hat-trick and a brace in the competition’s history.
Argentina dominated proceedings despite Algeria enjoying periods of possession, with Messi’s clinical finishing proving decisive.
A fourth Argentine goal and another by Algeria were disallowed for offside.
The win gives Argentina an ideal start in Group J.
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