Messi's Tears: The Reason Behind His Emotional Outburst

[Anchor]

Lionel Messi, the "God of Football," scored a hat-trick yesterday (June 17). However, he sparked curiosity after he was seen shedding tears following his first goal. It has been reported that the reason behind his emotion is his father's deteriorating health.

Reporter Kim Soo-young has the story.

[Reporter]

Messi, who thrilled global football fans with a hat-trick in the match against Algeria yesterday, was captured on broadcast wiping away tears with his jersey after scoring the opening goal.

After the match, Messi explained the reason behind his tears:

[Lionel Messi / Captain of the Argentina National Football Team: It has absolutely nothing to do with football. I have had a difficult and complicated few days personally. In any case, I am just very grateful to the entire team and my teammates.]

As interest grew regarding the specific background of his emotional state, Reuters reported that it appears to be related to his father's health issues.

Local Argentine media also reported that Messi's father has been battling an illness since last year and that his health condition has recently worsened.

Despite playing with a heavy heart, Messi delivered a stellar performance. He will now aim to set the record for the most goals in World Cup history in the second match against Austria on June 23.

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Meanwhile, the mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who had to watch her son's historic match on TV due to costs such as expensive visa deposits, will be able to watch the second match in person in the United States.

U.S. authorities have taken measures to ensure that Vozinha's mother can receive a visa in time for the second match against Uruguay, which will be held in Miami on June 22.

The visa deposit, which amounts to approximately 23 million won, has been waived.

(Video by Park Sun-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.