Copa America Final: Can Messi end Argentina’s 28-year wait?
Lionel Messi has the chance to win his first major tournament with Argentina when they meet Brazil in the final of Copa America in Rio on Saturday.
Messi, 34, has won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues during a trophy-laden career at Barcelona.
But the six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s only success with the senior Argentina team is at the 2008 Olympics in China.
“We’ll try to stop him achieving this objective,” said Brazil defender Marquinhos.
The 2021 Copa America is Messi’s 10th major tournament with Argentina – comprised of four World Cups and six editions of the competition to determine the champions of South America.
They have not won a top-level tournament since the 1993 Copa America, and defending champions Brazil stand in their way this time.
Messi, who is out of contract at Barcelona, has scored four times already in the tournament.
| Messi at the World Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Played | Won | Lost | Minutes | Goals |
| 2006 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 121 | 1 |
| 2010 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 450 | 0 |
| 2014 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 693 | 4 |
| 2018 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 360 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 19 | 12 | 4 | 1624 | 6 |
| Figures provided by Stats Perform | |||||
Brazil’s Neymar, a former team-mate of Messi’s at Barca, is also looking to seal a first major success with his country in the first Argentina-Brazil Copa America final since 2007.
“We’re going to play a final against our eternal rivals, the lifelong ones, the two most powerful national teams in South America and we hope it will be a great match,” said Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni.
| Messi at Copa America | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Played | Won | Lost | Minutes | Goals |
| 2007 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 456 | 2 |
| 2011 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 390 | 0 |
| 2015 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 570 | 1 |
| 2016 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 374 | 5 |
| 2019 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 487 | 1 |
| 2021 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 540 | 4 |
| TOTALS | 33 | 20 | 3 | 2817 | 13 |
| Figures provided by Stats Perform | |||||