Lionel Messi says his tears after scoring in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria were caused by something "completely unrelated to football" as he delivered a record-breaking performance on his 200th international appearance.
The Argentina captain marked the milestone with a stunning hat-trick, helping the defending world champions make the perfect start to their World Cup campaign.
Messi opened the scoring after 18 minutes with a superb curling finish before being surrounded by his team-mates. Moments later, the 38-year-old was seen wiping away tears with his shirt.
"Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football," Messi said.
"I went through some difficult days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my team-mates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it."
Messi's hat-trick was his first at a World Cup and took his total in the tournament to 16 goals, drawing him level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time leading scorer.
He also became the first player in history to appear at six World Cups, exactly 20 years after making his tournament debut in Argentina's 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's display also helped Argentina win their opening World Cup match as defending champions for the first time, following defeats in 1982 and 1990.
Messi's performance came after concerns over his fitness, having been substituted early because of muscle fatigue in his final MLS match for Inter Miami before the tournament.
"It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way," Messi added.
"What I'm living through now is the cherry on top. I'm very happy and grateful for this wonderful group. I enjoy it so much."
Messi was replaced after 80 minutes at Kansas City Stadium, leaving the pitch to a standing ovation as supporters chanted his name.
After inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, Messi remains central to their hopes of becoming only the third nation to successfully defend the trophy.
"There are no words to describe him. If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true," Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said.
"He is our most important player. We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it."
Argentina continue their Group J campaign against Austria on Monday, 22 June at 18:00 BST.
