Messi reveals difficult days off the pitch after World Cup debut

Lionel Messi’s World Cup debut in Kansas City delivered the on-field grandeur expected of a captain, but the more revealing moment came afterward, when he acknowledged that the days leading into Argentina’s opener had been anything but simple. He said he had passed “unos días difíciles, complicados” because of a situation away from football and thanked “a toda la delegación y a mis compañeros” for giving him the strength to feel ready.

That private strain came after a physical scare as well. Messi arrived in Kansas on May 31, 2026, and joined Argentina’s camp the next day with Rodrigo De Paul after carrying a muscle overload in the left hamstring, a setback tied to fatigue that had raised alarm only weeks before the World Cup. The Asociación del Fútbol Argentino set up the team at the Origin Hotel in Kansas City, using Sporting Kansas City as its base to cut down on travel during the tournament.

When Argentina opened Group J against Algeria on June 17 at Kansas City Stadium, Messi made the response decisive. Argentina won 3-0 and Messi scored a hat-trick, with the last goal bringing him level with Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. FIFA’s group draw had placed Argentina alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan, and the road continues with Austria on June 22.

Messi also framed the performance in team terms, saying Argentina knew the debut would be difficult and noting that the World Cup has already shown how even the strongest sides can be. He pointed to the experience of a complicated opening at Qatar as part of that lesson, a reminder that elite tournament football often turns on composure as much as talent.

Away from the record chase, Messi has been drawing inspiration from Rafael Nadal. He said the squad was watching the series about Nadal and that he identifies with the Spanish tennis great because both seek to give maximum effort and feel good enough to enjoy their work. Messi also downplayed his own milestone, saying Ronaldo was among the greatest players he had ever seen and refusing to place himself first in the game’s hierarchy.