Lionel Messi clarified the source of his emotional display after scoring Argentina's opening goal in their 3-0 World Cup victory over Algeria on June 16. The 38-year-old said his tears were "completely unrelated to football," revealing he had "been through some difficult days."
"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," Messi said in a post-match interview.
Despite off-field challenges, Messi delivered a dominant display, scoring three goals at 17, 60, and 76 minutes—his first hat-trick in World Cup play. The goals moved him to 16 career World Cup goals, equaling Miroslav Klose's all-time tournament record. At 38, Messi became the oldest player to score multiple times in a World Cup match.
Substituted in the 80th minute to a standing ovation after reaching 200 caps for Argentina, Messi was critical to Argentina's defence of their World Cup title, following their 2022 victory in Qatar.
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