Lionel Messi was in the perfect spot, needing only a light touch with his famed left boot to score. This was Messi’s first goal in this summer’s Copa America tournament. Now, Messi and Argentina have a chance to win the title again.
Messi scored a peculiar goal early in the second half, while Julián Álvarez found the net in the first half, leading Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday night in their Copa America semifinal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“It’s incredible what this group has achieved, what the Argentine national team has been doing,” Messi said after the match. “After this, there will be much more appreciation for all the finals that I and the old group had to play in.”
When is the Copa America final?
Argentina will play in the Copa America final on Sunday in Miami, awaiting the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Colombia and Uruguay, for an opportunity to enhance its soccer legacy.
As the current World Cup champions, Argentina will seek its second consecutive Copa America title. This could be their fourth major international championship in three years, including the 2022 Finalissima victory over the 2021 Euro champions Italy.
Messi had been scoreless through Argentina’s five Copa America matches, even missing one on June 29 to recover from a right groin/adductor injury. He returned for the last two matches, persistently taking three shots toward the net in the first half, growing increasingly frustrated in his attempts to deliver a standout moment during the tournament.
Messi finally succeeded, though his goal lacked the dramatic flair typical of his career highlights. There was no powerful long-distance strike; he was merely 3 feet from the net. The referees had to review the goal before confirming it as he and his teammates celebrated.
This early second-half attack demoralized Canada, who were playing in their first Copa America tournament and had reached the semifinal, outlasting teams like Brazil, Venezuela, and the United States.
Argentina, a tournament favorite from the start, had already beaten Canada in the opener and triumphed over Chile and Peru in the group stage. They rebounded from Messi’s miss in a penalty shootout to defeat Ecuador in the quarterfinal and then decisively beat Canada again.
“It is extremely tough to reach another final,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said. “We are carrying a great level of praise with great success. We know how hard it is to get here.”
Messi Moves Up to Second on All-Time International Goals List
Messi scored his 109th international goal, surpassing Iran’s Ali Daei (108) to claim second place. Cristiano Ronaldo leads all players with 130 goals, despite not scoring during his Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal. Messi, who turned 37 on June 24, trails only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in international goals.
Argentina maintained their unbeaten streak of 10 games with a victory on their independence day. The Albiceleste are poised to claim a record 16th Copa title as they prepare to meet Uruguay or Colombia on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
ALSO READ:
- Argentina Advances to Copa America Semifinals
- Mbappé’s Face Mask Adjustments Persist
- Messi Leads Argentina to 2-0 Copa America Win Over Canada
