Lionel Messi says he cried after scoring Argentina’s opening goal in their 3-0 win against Algeria, explaining that the emotion was not connected to football. Multiple reports state that the Argentina captain scored early in the match and then added a hat-trick, with his goals contributing to a comfortable victory as Argentina begin their World Cup defence. The outlets agree that Messi described his tears as stemming from a matter “completely unrelated to football,” without providing further details on what caused the reaction.
They also align on the context of the performance: Messi is credited with a “magnificent hat-trick” and with marking a personal milestone during the game. Guyana Chronicle notes the match as his 200th appearance for Argentina. BBC Sport and Yahoo Sports focus on Messi’s explanation for his tears following the first goal, rather than detailing the underlying issue itself.
Overall, the reporting converges on Messi’s on-pitch success in the Algeria match and his clarification that his tears had an off-field or non-football reason, even as his scoring moment drew immediate attention.
