Barcelona icon Lionel Messi explains tears after World Cup goal

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Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has provided an insight into the reasoning behind his emotional goal celebration on the international stage on Wednesday.

This comes after the 38-year-old was spotted shedding a tear during Argentina’s World Cup opener.

Messi and co. were of course back in action in the early hours of this morning, kicking the defence of their World Cup title into gear in a meeting with Algeria.

After recovering from a recent spell on the sidelines, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was afforded a starting berth for the Albiceleste.

And en route to an eventual 3-0 triumph, Messi proved himself the undisputed star of the show. The Inter Miami standout notched all three of his country’s goals, to round out his first-ever hat-trick on international football’s grandest stage.

And yet, post-match, much of the chatter surrounded Messi’s celebrations.

After opening his account against Algeria, the veteran attacker showed a rare glimpse of his emotional side, shedding a tear whilst completely swept up in the moment.

Speaking to the media following the full-time whistle in Kansas, Messi was therefore drawn on the reasoning behind as much.

And the Argentine went on to explain:

“I cried after the first goal, yes… but it was something completely unrelated to football.

“I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength.”

❤️‍🩹 Leo Messi: “I cried after the first goal, yes… but it was something completely unrelated to football”.

“I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength”. pic.twitter.com/HMJXmnvDtl

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 17, 2026

Conor Laird – GSFN