Lionel Messi has broken his silence on the emotional tears he shed after scoring the opening goal in Argentina's 2026 World Cup campaign. The 38-year-old superstar netted a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria, equalling Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup goal record of 16 goals.
Messi's Emotional Outburst
The diminutive maestro admitted that personal matters, not football, triggered his outpouring of emotion. "I cried after the first goal, yes... but it was something completely unrelated to football," Messi revealed. "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."
Messi's tears came after a spectacular strike from 30 yards out, which he curled into the top right corner. The goal set the tone for a masterclass performance against the African nation.
Historic Hat-Trick
The Inter Miami forward added his second goal in the second half, converting a rebound after Alexis Mac Allister's powerful drive was parried by Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane. His third goal was vintage Messi: he carved out space on the edge of the area, shifted the ball onto his left foot, and rifled it into the bottom corner.
With this hat-trick, Messi drew level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. In what may be his final World Cup appearance, the reigning champions sent a stark warning to their opponents.
Mbappe and Haaland Also Shine
On a day when rising stars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland launched their World Cup campaigns with braces, it was the veteran Messi who stole the spotlight. France, whom Argentina defeated in the 2022 final, beat Senegal 3-1. Mbappe scored twice, though controversy arose when he was denied a penalty despite appearing to be brought down by West Ham's Malick Diouf. VAR official Alireza Faghani upheld the on-field decision, ruling that Mbappe initiated contact.
In Boston, Haaland scored his first World Cup goals for Norway in a 2-1 victory over Iraq. The Manchester City striker opened the scoring by sliding home David Moller Wolfe's delivery, and after Ayman Hussein equalised, Haaland reacted quickest to a defensive error to prod home the winner.
Messi's Gratitude
Despite the personal challenges, Messi expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their support. "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.
Argentina's emphatic victory sets the stage for an exciting tournament as Messi continues to defy age and expectations.
