18/06/2026 03:10 - Deportes
Un jugador de fútbol celebrando un gol con los brazos abiertos hacia la tribuna, vistiendo camiseta celeste y blanca con el número 10, en un estadio moderno lleno de hinchas que ondean banderas argentinas, ambiente nocturno con luces del estadio.
On the night of June 16, 2026, football history was written at the Kansas City Stadium. After Lionel Messi's legendary hat-trick against Algeria, his wife Antonela Roccuzzo posted an emotional message on Instagram that instantly went viral.
"How I love youuuuuu", the Rosario-native wrote alongside two red hearts, proving once again that behind the world's greatest player stands a family that supports him unconditionally.
Messi responded on his wife's profile with a simple but powerful: "I love you all", accompanied by several heart emojis. The couple, who arrived together at the Kansas City Stadium with their three children wearing number 10 jerseys, continue to display their love publicly after all these years.
Note: Antonela Roccuzzo is Messi's childhood sweetheart from Rosario, Argentina. They married in 2017 and have three sons: Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro. She is a prominent social media influencer with over 40 million Instagram followers.
France manager Didier Deschamps was left in awe by Messi's performance:
"In football there are great players, there are legends... and then there's Messi doing things that seem almost impossible to repeat."
He added: "What Lionel is doing right now isn't something you analyze as normal football... it's greatness unfolding in real time."
Note: Didier Deschamps is a French football manager and former player who won the 2018 World Cup as France's coach. He is one of only three people to have won the World Cup as both a player and a manager.
The 3-0 victory over Algeria was recorded as Argentina's second-best World Cup opening match, only surpassed by the historic 4-0 win against Greece in 1994.
There's a remarkable parallel between both matches:
| Year | Result | Hat-trick Author | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Argentina 4-0 Greece | Gabriel Batistuta | Boston, USA |
| 2026 | Argentina 3-0 Algeria | Lionel Messi | Kansas City, USA |
In that 1994 match, Diego Maradona also scored the fourth goal after a brilliant combination with Fernando Redondo and Claudio Caniggia, finishing with an unforgettable left-footed strike.
Note: Diego Maradona (1960-2020) is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time and a national hero in Argentina. He led Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986. Gabriel Batistuta is Argentina's second all-time top scorer and played in three World Cups (1994, 1998, 2002).
Argentina's captain posted on his Instagram account:
"Happy with the start, grateful for the affection and very proud to see this group competing again as they have been doing all these years."
When asked about the possibility of playing a seventh World Cup, Messi replied with a laugh: "No, I don't know... now I just enjoy being on the pitch. I like competing, being up to the challenge."
Argentina leads Group J with 3 points and a +3 goal difference.
Note: The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It's the first World Cup to feature 48 teams expanded from the traditional 32-team format.
Sources: TN (Todo Noticias), ESPN Argentina, El Día
Alfredo S. Quiroga
