Lionel Messi reveals reason for tears on record World Cup night: I’ve been through tough days
After scoring a historic hat-trick to equal Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup goalscoring record, Lionel Messi revealed that the tears he shed during Argentina’s win over Algeria were the result of personal struggles outside of football.
Messi was visibly emotional after scoring the opening goal Argentina won 3-0 over Algeria in their Group J clash. While many assumed the moment was occasion-related, the 38-year-old later explained that his emotions stemmed from challenges outside the game.
“It had nothing to do with football, I had some difficult days,” Messi said after the match.
“It was a completely non-sporting matter; I’ve had some tough, complicated days.”
The Argentina captain did not comment on the causes of these difficulties, but thanked his teammates and the national team’s support team for their help during this period.
“I’m grateful to the whole delegation, my teammates. They made a lot of effort to make sure I do well,” he said.
Once the emotions died down, Messi turned the night into another milestone in a career full of them.
Messi, playing in his 200th game for Argentina and appearing in a record sixth World Cup, opened the scoring with a thunderous strike before adding two more goals to complete the first World Cup hat-trick of his illustrious career.
The treble also took him to 16 World Cup goals, equaling German great Miroslav Klose at the top of the men’s all-time charts.
The hat-trick capped off a remarkable night for Messi, who once again proved decisive on football’s biggest stage as Argentina launched their world title defense with a commanding victory.
Despite adding another record to his collection, Messi preferred to think about the journey rather than the achievement itself.
“It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way. What I’m experiencing now is the cherry on top,” he said.
“I’m very happy and grateful for this amazing group. I’m enjoying it so much.”
‘MAYBE THE BEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME’
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni could only marvel at another memorable display from his captain. “I have no words for Leo. What can I say?” Scaloni said. “He’s incredible.
“The difference is that they have a player who doesn’t forgive,” Algerian defender Aissa Mandi said of Messi. “Almost every chance ends up in the back of the net.
“He’s a player, maybe the best player ever, so that’s his efficiency and it’s impressive. We knew that, we tried to limit him as much as possible, but it didn’t work.”
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
June 17, 2026 10:15 AM IST