Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria in their World Cup opener, after braces from Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. The 38-year-old explained why he was crying after scoring.
Messi's Emotional Response
After scoring his first goal, Messi was visibly emotional. He later said: "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."
Haaland's Verdict on Messi
Erling Haaland, who scored twice for Norway in a 4-1 win over Iraq, responded to Messi's hat-trick on Snapchat: "Messi is a madman" with a crown emoji.
World Cup Action
France beat Senegal 3-1, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace. England were hit by an injury blow as defender Tino Livramento withdrew with a calf injury, replaced by Trevoh Chalobah.
Portugal's preparations were disrupted by security concerns near their beach hotel, but manager Roberto Martinez praised Cristiano Ronaldo as a "killer" ahead of their opener against DR Congo.
Lionel Messi's hat-trick moved him level with Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts with 16 goals.
