Lionel Messi broke down in tears after Argentina opened the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win and his historic hat trick on June 16, 2026. The performance took him to 16 World Cup goals, tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top scorer, exactly 20 years after Messi scored his first World Cup goal in the same date in 2006.
Messi said the tears were not about football alone. “Why did I cry? It’s something that has nothing to do with football. I went through hard days, but I am grateful to the delegation and to my teammates who were always by my side, gave me a lot of strength and helped me get through it,” he said.
Reflecting on the scoring record, the 39-year-old said it was “a great honor” to be mentioned alongside the game’s legends, including Brazil’s Ronaldo, whom he said he grew up watching. “He was one of the greatest players of all time, and yet he is not in first place. In the end, these are just statistics,” Messi said.
Messi added that he loves playing football and still feels in good shape, noting this is his sixth World Cup. He said Argentina’s win was important because opening matches are always difficult, especially since the team struggled in the first half before taking control after halftime. He also thanked the supporters who followed Argentina in the United States, saying they again filled the stadium, perhaps with 80,000 spectators or more, and praised their sacrifices to be with the team whether in Qatar or now in America.
