Argentina captain Lionel Messi has explained his emotional reaction after scoring his first goal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Algeria.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 38-year-old forward revealed that his tears had nothing to do with football.
"Yes, I cried after the first goal... But it was because of things that have absolutely nothing to do with football. I went through several difficult days, but I am grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always there for me and gave me a lot of strength," Messi said.
The Group J encounter ended with a convincing 3-0 victory for Argentina. Messi was the star of the match, scoring all three goals and recording a hat-trick.
With those strikes, the Argentine legend increased his World Cup tally to 16 goals, drawing level with Miroslav Klose at the top of the tournament's all-time scoring chart.
The reigning world champions made a successful start to their title defence at the tournament being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Messi's performance once again underlined his importance to Argentina as they pursue another World Cup triumph.
