Lionel Messi and Argentina stand on the brink of history, one win away from securing a record 16th Copa America title. Their opponent in the final, Colombia, will be a formidable obstacle, determined to prevent Messi from achieving his ultimate dream. Argentina has been a dominant force throughout the tournament, securing victories in all their matches and scoring at least two goals in each of their last four encounters.
Their journey began in Group A alongside Canada, Chile, and Peru. Argentina kicked off their campaign with a resounding 2-0 victory over Canada, thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. Their next match against Chile proved more challenging, but they emerged victorious with a 1-0 win, secured by Lautaro’s late goal in the 88th minute. This victory made Argentina the first team to secure a place in the knockout stages.
In their final group match against Peru, Messi was sidelined due to injury. However, Argentina continued their winning ways, securing a comfortable 2-0 win. Lautaro Martinez shone, grabbing a brace with goals in the 47th and 86th minutes, making him the tournament’s top scorer with five goals. Argentina impressively finished the group stage without conceding a single goal.
The quarterfinal saw Argentina face their toughest test yet, clashing against Ecuador. Lisandro Martinez, in his debut goal for the national team, gave Argentina the lead in the 35th minute. Despite a barrage of attacks from Ecuador, Argentina held onto their slender lead for a considerable time. However, in second-half stoppage time, Kevin Rodriguez scored an equalizer for Ecuador, sending the match to penalties.
The penalty shootout did not start ideally for Argentina, as captain Messi attempted a Panenka and missed his spot-kick, sending the ball high over the crossbar. But Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, stepped up to the challenge, keeping the scores level by saving Angel Mina’s penalty. Julian Alvarez converted Argentina’s next penalty, giving them the lead, and Martinez made his second save in a row by denying Alan Minda. Alexis Mac Allister and Gonzalo Montiel also successfully converted their penalties for Argentina, while John Yeboah and Jordy Caicedo scored for Ecuador. The match came down to Nicolas Otamendi, who delivered a well-placed shot into the bottom left corner to secure a 4-2 victory for Argentina and send them into the semifinals.
In the semifinal, Argentina faced Canada once again, this time replicating their opening match victory by the same margin. Alvarez opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, followed by Messi’s first goal of the tournament in the 51st minute, which also marked his 109th international goal, surpassing Ali Daei as the second-highest international goalscorer in history. Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal holds the top spot with 130 goals for his country.
Argentina’s victory over Canada set the stage for a grand finale, a showdown against Colombia for the coveted Copa America title. Should Argentina emerge victorious, they will not only secure their 16th title but also surpass Uruguay’s record, cementing their position as the most successful team in Copa America history.
