Messi: I simply love football, it's my passion
Messi reflected emotionally on his hat-trick against Algeria, saying he had been through difficult days recently and expressing gratitude to his teammates and coaching staff
Lionel Messi commented on Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in their World Cup opener. The 38-year-old captain, who recently recovered from injury, scored a hat-trick to become the oldest player to achieve that feat at a World Cup, surpassing Ronaldo's record set at 33 in 2018. The goals also drew him level with Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts on 16 goals.
"I love playing football, it's been my passion since childhood. When I'm in good shape, I give everything I have," said Messi.
"The first matches at a World Cup are always difficult — nobody gives you anything. This is a very competitive tournament with excellently prepared teams," he added.
"I've had some difficult days, which is why I was so emotional. I'm grateful to my teammates, the coaching staff and the entire national team delegation," Messi concluded.
