Messi tears up then scores hat-trick against Algeria on his 200th cap

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria (3-0) in what officially marks his 200th cap with Argentina, joining Cristiano Ronaldo in the very exclusive circle of players to have reached this milestone. The Argentine captain, however, shed tears after opening the scoring, revealing in the mixed zone that he is going through difficult personal times.

“I cried after the first goal, yes. It was something completely unrelated to football. I’ve been going through difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they’ve always been by my side, giving me a lot of strength,” he said.

On the pitch, the Inter Miami player delivered a high-flying performance nonetheless. Shortly after the quarter-hour mark, he opened the scoring with a long-range strike. After the break, he doubled the lead by capitalizing on a poorly cleared ball by Luca Zidane, before completing his masterclass with another shot from twenty metres that left the Algerian goalkeeper helpless.

This match also marks Messi’s official participation in his sixth World Cup, another milestone in an extraordinary international career.

Manager Lionel Scaloni, also moved by the occasion, was full of praise after the match. “I really have no words to describe Leo’s class. He is extraordinary. For 20 years, he’s been doing these kinds of things. All football lovers want to see him play and savour these moments,” he said.