Messi Reveals Personal Heartache Behind Tears Following Record-Breaking Argentina Goal

Lionel Messi has opened up on the emotional moment that saw him break down in tears after scoring for Argentina against Algeria at the World Cup.

The 38-year-old admitted the reason for his public display of emotion was “completely unrelated to football,” hinting at a difficult personal period leading up to the tournament.

Argentina ran out 3-0 winners against Algeria in their opening Group J fixture, making a commanding start to their defence of the World Cup trophy they won in Qatar in 2022.

Messi curled home a magnificent opener after just 18 minutes before being swamped by team-mates, with cameras catching the Argentina captain wiping tears away on his shirt.

“Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football,” said Messi, speaking after the match at the Kansas City Stadium.

“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.”

The goal was the first of a hat-trick for Messi, his first at a World Cup, taking his total in the competition to 16 and drawing him level with 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 ever to appear at six World Cups, marking exactly 20 years since his tournament debut in a 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro.

Argentina’s victory also ended a long-standing historical burden, as the win represented the first time the Albiceleste had won their opening match at a World Cup as defending champions, having suffered defeats in 1982 and 1990.

Messi’s performance came despite fitness concerns following an early substitution through muscle fatigue in his final MLS appearance for Inter Miami before travelling to the tournament.

He was withdrawn after 80 minutes against Algeria to a standing ovation from the crowd as chants of his name rang around the Kansas City Stadium.

“It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way,” Messi added, reflecting on a remarkable evening for both himself and his country.

“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’s team-mate Alexis Mac Allister was effusive in his praise for the talismanic forward after the final whistle, dismissing any suggestion Argentina could perform better without him.

“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,” said the Argentina midfielder.

“He is our most important player. We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it.”

Argentina, who are bidding to become only the third nation in history to successfully defend the World Cup, return to action in Group J against Austria on Monday 22 June at 18:00 BST.

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