, June 17 -- Argentina captain Lionel Messi revealed that the tears he shed after scoring in his side's FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J opener against Algeria were the result of personal difficulties rather than anything related to football.

The 38-year-old forward became emotional after netting Argentina's first goal in Monday night's match. He later completed a historic hat-trick - his first in World Cup competition - while also drawing level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

Messi's emotional reaction sparked widespread speculation among fans, but he clarified after the match that he had recently been dealing with challenging circumstances away from the sport.

Speaking to reporters, Messi said he had gone ...