Lionel Messi marked his 200th appearance for Argentina with a magnificent hat-trick in the team's 3-0 win against Algeria. The 38-year-old captain's performance was a testament to his enduring influence on the national team, but what led to his emotional response after scoring the opening goal?
Messi claimed that he was brought to tears by a matter 'completely unrelated to football', but refused to elaborate further. Despite the mystery surrounding his tears, Messi's record-breaking performance was a welcome boost for Argentina's World Cup defence.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's hat-trick took his finals goal tally to 16, moving him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in the competition's history. Messi also became the first player in history to feature at six World Cups, 20 years to the day since his debut at the tournament.
Argentina's victory over Algeria marked a strong start to their World Cup campaign, with Messi's performance inspiring his team-mates. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister praised the captain's impact, saying, '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's next match is against Austria on Monday, 22 June (18:00 BST), with Messi likely to remain a key player in the team's hopes of becoming only the third nation to defend the trophy.