Lionel Messi revealed that the emotion displayed after scoring against Algeria stemmed from personal hardship rather than athletic achievement. The Argentine captain completed a hat-trick in the 3-0 World Cup victory at Kansas City Stadium but confirmed his tears were unrelated to football.
Messi stated he endured difficult days leading up to the match and credited his teammates and delegation for providing essential strength. The performance marked a historic milestone as the 38-year-old equaled Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 World Cup goals during his record sixth tournament appearance.
Argentina now prepares to continue their title defense with a Group J matchup against Austria on Monday.