Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to inspire Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening World Cup match — but the 39-year-old was seen weeping on the pitch after his first goal, later revealing the tears were due to his father's serious health problems.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner matched Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup goals record with his treble, yet his emotions told a different story. "No, honestly it's something completely unrelated to sports. It's been a few difficult days, complicated," Messi said after the match. "I had some difficult, complicated days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation, to all my team-mates because they were always by my side, as always, giving me a lot of strength to be okay, and that's all."
“Lionel Messi equalled the World Cup goals record but wept after scoring, revealing his father's health battle.”
Sports reporter Eduardo Feinmann later revealed on Radio Mitre, one of Argentina's most listened-to stations, that the cause was Messi's father, Jorge. "This has to do with his father. His father is not in good health. For quite some time now, several months, since last year," Feinmann said. "And this week there were some situations that slightly worsened his health, and Messi is going through this internal struggle. In other words, like any human being."
Jorge Messi, who has been a huge influence on his son's career and continues to act as his agent and business manager, endured a "medical episode" in January that led to hospitalisation, and has since undergone cardiovascular and neurological tests. Reports indicate no diagnosis has yet been made.
Despite the emotional turmoil, Messi delivered a masterclass on the pitch to ensure Argentina's title defence started perfectly. Speaking about equalling Klose's record, the Argentina captain said: "It is an honour, but it is just a statistic." The 39-year-old Inter Miami midfielder is now just one goal away from becoming the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer, with Kylian Mbappe close behind.
Messi's parents, Jorge and Celia Cuccittini, have been married since 1978 and divide their time between Miami and Rosario. The weight of family concern was evident as Messi struggled to contain his emotions in front of a global audience — a reminder that even the greatest players carry personal burdens beyond the pitch.