Messi reveals non-football reason for tears after Argentina goal

Lionel Messi has revealed that his emotional reaction after scoring the opening goal in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria was triggered by a personal issue "completely unrelated to football." The Argentina captain, playing in his 200th international match, netted a hat-trick to lead the defending champions to a winning start in their World Cup campaign.

Emotional moment explained

After curling home a superb opener in the 18th minute, the 38-year-old was surrounded by teammates before being seen wiping tears from his eyes with his shirt. Speaking after the match, Messi clarified the reason behind his tears. "Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football," he said. "I went through some difficult days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my team-mates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it."

Record-breaking performance

Messi's hat-trick, his first at a World Cup, took his tournament goal tally to 16, equaling Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also became the first player to feature at six World Cups, exactly 20 years after his tournament debut, when he scored in a 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro.

His performance helped Argentina win their opening match as defending champions for the first time, after defeats in 1982 and 1990. The victory came amid concerns over Messi's fitness, following his early substitution due to muscle fatigue in his last MLS match with Inter Miami before the tournament.

Gratitude and team spirit

"It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way," Messi added. "What I'm living through now is the cherry on top. I'm very happy and grateful for this wonderful group, I enjoy it so much." Messi was substituted in the 80th minute to a standing ovation, with his name echoing around Kansas City Stadium.

Messi inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, securing the trophy that had long eluded him. He will be crucial to Argentina's hopes of becoming only the third nation to successfully defend the title. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister praised his captain: "There are no words to describe him. If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true. He is our most important player. We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it."

Argentina's next match in Group J is against Austria on Monday, 22 June at 18:00 BST.