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Lionel Messi says he broke down in tears after scoring the opening goal in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria over something “completely unrelated to football”.
Argentina captain Claimed a brilliant hat-trick His team made the perfect start to their World Cup defense in his 200th appearance for his country.
After curling home a brilliant opener after 18 minutes, the 38-year-old was mobbed in celebration by his teammates and was seen wiping tears on his shirt.
“Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football,” said Messi.
“I’ve had some tough days, but I’m grateful to the whole delegation and my teammates because they’ve always been by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it.”
Messi’s hat-trick, his first in a World Cup, took his tally in the finals to 16, tying him with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading goalscorer in the competition’s history.
Messi also became the first player in history to feature in six World Cups, 20 years after his debut in the tournament, where he scored 6–0 goals against Serbia and Montenegro.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s performance helped Argentina win their opening game at the World Cup as defending champions for the first time since defeats in 1982 and 1990.
