Truth Behind Lionel Messi's Tears After Scoring World Cup Goal: 'I Went Through Difficult...'

Last Updated:June 17, 2026, 11:18 IST

Lionel Messi scored a historic hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria.

With concerns over his fitness dominating the headlines in the lead up to Argentina’s opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Lionel Messi swept aside doubts for good with a historic hat-trick in his team’s 3-0 win over Algeria on Tuesday night. Messi broke multiple records during his one-man show at Kansas City.

Messi, the winner of eight Ballon D’or awards, opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a fine curling effort. After celebrating with teammates, the Argentine captain could be seen wiping away tears.

After the contest, the 38-year-old was asked the reason behind his emotional reaction.

“Honestly, completely unrelated to the sport, I went through some difficult, complicated days," Messi said.

He then thanked his teammates and coaching staff for helping him

“I’m grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates. They were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and that’s all," he said.

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Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience ...Read More

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