Lionel Messi Sets New Record with Argentina’s Copa America 2024 Triumph
Lionel Messi create history once again as Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in an exciting match in the Copa America 2024 final.
Messi, who is widely considered the greatest of all time (GOAT), won his third straight international championship in the midst of an exciting game in which he was forced off the field in the second half due to an ankle injury. Argentina rebounded after this loss, with Lautaro Martinez scoring the game-winning goal in extra time. Lionel Messi won his 45th team trophy with this victory.
Messi has now won four international championships for Argentina in just three years. In addition to winning two Copa Americas and a Finalissima from 2021 to 2024, he also won the FIFA World Cup in 2022. In his illustrious club career, Messi has won 39 titles in total, the most of which have been with Barcelona.
He has won four UEFA Champions League trophies (all with Barcelona), twelve league titles (10 with Barcelona and two with PSG), and seventeen domestic cups (15 with Barcelona, one with PSG, and one with MLS team Inter Miami).
In addition, Messi has won three FIFA Club World Cups and UEFA Super Cups. In international competition, he has also triumphed with Argentina at the 2005 U-17 World Cup and the 2008 Olympic Games. Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or awards (8) and six European Golden Boots. In 1068 games played so far in his career, he has scored 838 goals and provided 374 assists.
Messi had a difficult upbringing in Rosario as a young child, but after Barcelona called, his life took a turn for the better. As far as his club career is concerned, the rest is history, but Messi is still a target for detractors on the international scene.
But Messi has also demonstrated his mettle on the international front over the past four years, winning three major titles with Argentina. The Copa America 2024 championship was most likely Messi’s final appearance in an Argentina jersey.
Also Read: Argentina Clinches Record 16th Copa America Title with Extra-Time Victory Over Colombia
Argentina’s Angel Di Maria Calls Copa America Final a Dream Farewell
In the latter moments of extra time, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni substituted Angel di Maria, making sure he was given a heartfelt send-off by the team’s supporters, as evidenced by the emotion in his eyes.
The Copa America victory over Colombia on Sunday, according to Argentina winger Angel Di Maria, was the ideal way to round off his career with the national side. After winning the 2021 Copa and the following year’s World Cup, the Albiceleste claimed a third consecutive major trophy with a 1-0 victory in extra time.
“I dreamt it, that’s why I said it was the last Copa America and it ended here. I dreamt that I would reach the final, that I would win it, that I would retire like this,” the 36-year-old winger said in November of his intention to step down from international duty following the tournament.
In the last moments of extra time, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni substituted Di Maria, making sure he was given a heartfelt send-off by the team’s supporters, as evidenced by the emotion in his eyes.
“I’m experiencing so many lovely emotions.”I will always be indebted to this generation; they gave me everything and helped me realize my dreams. There’s nothing better than this way I’m going out on my journey today,” he remarked.
Alongside Lionel Messi, Di Maria was a member of the generation that won the 2008 Olympics, but afterwards struggled to win medals and disappointed the country by falling short in tournament finals.
However, the “Triple Crown,” which also grants Argentina a record 16 Copas, solidifies Lionel Scaloni’s team’s status as one of South American football’s greatest teams.
“It looks simple, but it’s really challenging. The Benfica winger remarked, “I know because I lived on the opposite side also for 10, eleven years, fighting for it.
“Getting to the finals and winning them is not simple. And it’s happening now, it’s like that, it had to come eventually, and I would have wanted to have won one with the other group of people too, we earned it too, but we persisted, we fought, an everything,” he remarked.
In addition to scoring the winning goal in Beijing, Di Maria also scored in the 2021 Copa final’s 1-0 victory over Brazil.
