Why was Lionel Messi seen shedding tears during FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Algeria
Suspense Crime, Digital Desk : The Argentine legend turned in a record-breaking night in Kansas City Stadium after his mesmerizing hat-trick against Algeria. The player was witnessed shedding tears, and has now spoken about what moved him to tears.
Lionel Messi was spotted wiping tears from his eyes during Argentina's opener against Algeria in the FIFA World Cup 2026, at the Kansas City Stadium on June 17. The star was playing in his 6th World Cup and didn't fail to deliver in the opening tie of Argentina's defense of their crown. The record-breaking performance saw the star find the back of the net a staggering three times in the match.
Becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history, at 38 years and 357 days, Messi surpassed the record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo. He is also now the oldest player to score more than one goal in a match after shattering Roger Milla's record from 1990.
Messi explains emotional response
Beyond his magical goals, another element that captured attention was Messi wiping away tears after he scored the opener of his hat-trick. The soon-to-be 39-year-old confirmed after the game that it was nothing related to football.
"Honestly, completely unrelated to the sport, I went through some difficult, complicated days," Messi shared after the match, thanking his teammates and the Argentine team for being there with him through tough times. "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 further added.
'Numbers don't mean anything': Messi
It was an eventful night for the Argentine in more ways than one, as his hat-trick also saw him equal Miroslav Klose's record for the most goals scored in FIFA World Cups, now standing at 16. However, Messi stated after the match that statistics mean little to him. "It's an honour. Mbappe and Ronaldo are there, but those numbers don't mean anything. They're just statistics. Ronaldo is one of the greatest, and he's not in first place, so it's just one statistic," he was quoted as saying by Argentine newspaper La Nacion.
Here's a look at some of the records Messi broke or equalled against Algeria:
* Joint-most goals in FIFA World Cup history: 16, tied with Miroslav Klose
* Oldest Player to score a World Cup hat-trick: Messi is 38y and 357d old. Cristiano Ronaldo held the record when he was 33y-130d during his hat-trick in 2018.
* Second man to score at 5 World Cups: Messi is second after Ronaldo (Portugal) to score at five FIFA World Cups. Ronaldo is set to own this record again.
* Most goal contributions: Messi now has 24 goal contributions, the most in FIFA World Cup history. He was tied with Pele for 21 contributions.
* Five from outside the box: Messi scored his fifth FIFA World Cup goal from outside the box. He ties Brazil's Rivellino for the most such goals in the last six decades.
* First Argentine to score in five straight games: Messi also became the first Argentine to score in five straight WC matches. He is one short of the all-time record of Just Fontaine (FRA) and Jairzinho (BRA).
* Sixth World Cup edition: Messi played in his sixth FIFA World Cup, owning the record for most appearances. 16th June was the 20th anniversary of his WC debut and his first goal 20 years ago.
