Posted by Chinenye on Wed 17th Jun, 2026 - tori.ng
Football fans were left stunned when Lionel Messi broke down in tears after finding the net during Argentina's dominant World Cup victory.
(Lionel Messi. Photo by India Today)
Argentina's captain, Lionel Messi, has disclosed that he broke down in tears after scoring his opening goal in the team's 3-0 demolition of Algeria, attributing the emotional moment to personal reasons unrelated to the game.
Messi netted his first-ever World Cup hat-trick as the defending champions kicked off their title defence with a convincing victory.
After putting Argentina ahead, the 38-year-old was visibly overcome with emotion on the pitch.
However, the Inter Miami forward clarified after the match that his tears had nothing to do with football.
He explained that he had been through some tough days personally, but expressed gratitude to the entire team delegation and his teammates for standing by him and offering constant support and strength during that period.