Lionel Messi was in the right place at the right time and with a gentle touch of his legendary left foot, he smashed the ball into the back of the net.
It was Messi’s first goal in the Copa America this summer.
Now Messi and Argentina have a chance to win it again.
Messi scored a freakish goal early in the second half and Julián Alvarez scored in the first half and Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in the Copa America semifinal on Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“What this group has done, what Argentina has done, is incredible,” Messi said after the match. “After this, all the finals that I and all the previous groups have played in will have even more importance.”
When is the Copa America Final?
Argentina enters the Copa America final in Miami on Sunday with a chance to further cement its soccer dynasty, awaiting matches against Colombia and Uruguay in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Defending World Cup champions Argentina will be looking to win a second consecutive Copa America, which could mark their fourth major international tournament in three years, including the 2022 Finalissima, which saw them beat Euro 2021 champions Italy.
Messi scores first goal in Copa America
Argentina star Messi scored again in the 51st minute, taking a touch from Enzo Fernandez’s shot just inside the area.st Argentina was up 2-0 after a minute, which was all the breathing room they needed for a second-half win against Canada.
Messi failed to score in Argentina’s five Copa America matches and missed the match on June 29 with a right groin/adductor injury, but has since returned for the past two games.
Messi had three shots on goal in the first half, battling tenaciously, breaking through and increasingly striving to produce moments of brilliance throughout the tournament.
Messi finally scored, but his goal lacked the kind of drama that has made so many of his goals so far in his career last a memorable one.
Messi didn’t fire a powerful kick from distance — it was just three feet from the goal — and the officials had to double-check the score before ruling in Argentina’s favor while Messi and his teammates celebrated.
However, it was an attack early in the second half that demoralized Canada, which was making its Copa America debut and had beaten strong teams such as Brazil, Venezuela and the United States to reach the semi-finals.
But Argentina was the favorite to win the Copa America from the start, beating Canada in the opening match and then Chile and Peru in the group stage. They also recovered from a Messi mistake in a penalty shootout to beat Ecuador in the quarterfinals, before decisively beating Canada again.
“It’s very tough to get to the final again,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “We’re receiving a lot of praise along with the great success and we know how hard it is to get here.”
Copa America highlights: Argentina vs Canada semi-final
Messi now second on the all-time international goalscoring list
Messi’s 109 international goals put him second only to Iran’s Ali Daei (108), while rival Cristiano Ronaldo leads all players with 130 goals, despite failing to score a single goal for Portugal at Euro 2024.
Alvarez scored in the 23rd minute after receiving a pass from Rodrigo de Paul, getting in behind the Canadian defender and sending the ball into the back of the net for Argentina’s 1-0 lead.
Veteran Angel Di Maria (36 years old) is 78Number One minute until the fans give a curtain call: the Copa America final will be the last time Argentina will wear their famous white and sky blue uniforms.
Messi was hit by a Canadian player in the 88th minute.Number He collapsed to the ground after about a minute but was able to finish the game.
Canada’s second shot on goal of the night came in the 89th minute.Number A minute into the match, Argentina goalkeeper Dib Martinez flicked a Tani Oluwaseyi shot with his foot and caught it while lying flat on his back.
Argentina now has just one game left to win another Copa America title and reach new heights as one of the greatest teams in the history of the game.
Messi celebrates Copa America victory on Instagram
Canada’s Tani Oluwaseyi misses a shot late in the game: Argentina 2, Canada 0
Canada’s second shot on goal of the day came in the 89th minute.Number A minute into the match, Argentina goalkeeper Dib Martinez flicked a Tani Oluwaseyi shot with his foot and caught it while lying flat on his back.
Angel Di Maria comes on as a substitute and receives a standing ovation from the fans: Argentina 2, Canada 0
Angel Di Maria, 36, was sent off in the 78th minute.Number One minute until the fans give a curtain call: the Copa America final will be the last time Argentina will wear their famous white and sky blue uniforms.
Lionel Messi scores first Copa America goal: Argentina 2, Canada 0
Messi finally scored his first goal of the Copa America, scoring with a left-footed shot in the 51st minute after a scramble in the box.st One minute left until the start of the second half.
Enzo Fernandez provided the assist for Messi’s tap-in goal, which he scored by going past the Canadian goalkeeper.
Messi misses shot over the net: Argentina 1, Canada 0
Messi was once again a little impatient with a shot just before half-time, sending it flying over the back of the net.
Messi misses right-footed shot before halftime: Argentina 1, Canada 0
Messi, who is yet to score in the Copa America, appears restless unless he scores a goal, and in this sequence, he attempted a shot with his right foot, but it went just wide of the goal.
Messi foul or no foul? Argentina 1, Canada 0
Messi was left stunned and wondering why the referee had not called the foul in his favour, a decision that could have led to a free kick for Messi.
Nicolas Tagliafico’s shot from Messi is blocked: Argentina 1, Canada 0
Messi passed to Nicolas Tagliafico, but his shot was blocked by the defender.
Angel Di Maria shoots a high shot towards the net: Argentina 1, Canada 0
Argentina, remembering that Canada’s goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had missed his line in the previous game, tried to catch him off guard again, and Angel Di Maria took a shot that missed.
Argentine fans celebrate Julián Alvarez’s goal: Argentina 1, Canada 0
Julián Alvarez goals: Argentina 1, Canada 0
Julián Alvarez received a pass from Rodrigo De Paul, got in behind the Canadian defender and again fired a shot into the back of the net.
Argentina takes early lead in 23 matchesrd minutes.
Messi shoots but misses to the right: Argentina 0, Canada 0
Lionel Messi took the first shot of the match in the 12th minute.Number He took a shot about a minute later, but it went just to the right of the near post.
Messi is yet to score in the Copa America, but it’s fun to watch him actively try to score.
Jacob Schaffelburg takes an early shot: Argentina 0, Canada 0
Canada’s Jacob Schaffelberg had an early chance at goal, but his shot went wide to the right of the goal.
Messi’s first touch goes to Angel Di María: Argentina 0, Canada 0
Messi’s first touch of the ball in the Argentina backfield after the opening period came when he dribbled down the right wing and passed to Angel Di Maria, who tried to cross back to Messi, but the pass was intercepted by Canadian defender Derek Cornelius just two minutes into the game.
Will Messi play tonight against Canada?
Yes, Messi will play in his second consecutive game since returning from a right groin/adductor injury, and he is in the starting lineup tonight.
What time does the Argentina vs Canada Copa America match start?
Argentina and Canada will play on Tuesday night at 8pm ET (9pm Argentina time).
How to watch Argentina vs Canada Copa America live stream?
The game will be broadcast in English on FS1 and in Spanish on Univision/TUDN.
How to watch:Subscribe to fuboTV to watch every Copa America match
Dave Martinez’s hairstyle incorporates Argentine colors
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano “Dib” Martinez has a new hairstyle ahead of tonight’s match. Regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world, Martinez plays with flamboyance and has no problem dominating opponents, especially in penalty shootouts.
Drake bets $300,000 on Canada against Argentina: ‘Maybe Messi will win this one’
Canadian rapper Drake made waves by betting $300,000 on Canada to beat Argentina, which would have a winnings of $2.88 million, according to a bet slip he posted to his Instagram Story before the game.
Messi holds baby Ramin Yamal
It’s surreal to imagine that former Barcelona star Lionel Messi posed with 16-year-old Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal for these photos when Yamal was just a baby. The photos continued to circulate on social media on Tuesday, the day Yamal scored a goal to help Spain beat France 2-1 and reach the Euros final.
Argentina vs Canada Copa America Predictions
Argentina 2, Canada 0: Argentina’s possession of the ball will give the world champions chances and limit Canada’s goal-scoring opportunities, while Messi will contribute with a goal and an assist and Angel Di Maria will likely be the man to lead the team to victory. Safid Dean, Lionel Messi reporter.
Argentina vs Canada Copa America betting odds
According to BETMGM, Argentina has odds of winning at -300, a draw at +400 and Canada at +900 for the upset. Keep in mind, however, that these odds are for the full 90 minutes of play and not the penalty shootout.
When will Messi retire? What he said about retirement
At 37, Messi still has a chance to play in the 2026 World Cup. Here’s what he said earlier this year about when he might retire:
What did Argentina’s coach say about Lionel Messi’s injury?
“Leo is doing well, he finished his last match well and will be involved in the match. [Tuesday]”Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said at a press conference on Monday.
When will Messi score his next goal?
Messi is yet to score a goal in the Copa America, having missed one match (June 29 in Miami) due to injury, but played in both group stage matches and last Thursday’s quarterfinal against Ecuador.
Messi was the catalyst for three of Argentina’s six goals but was somewhat disappointing in his new home tournament last year since joining Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.
When was the last time Messi scored a goal?
Messi’s last goal came just over a month ago, on June 1, in a 3-3 draw between Inter Miami and St. Louis City during the MLS season.
Messi misses penalty at Copa America
Messi was angry and disappointed after missing a penalty in the deciding shootout in the Copa America quarter-finals, but Argentina went on to win the match 1-1 (4-2 on penalties).
“I’m very angry, very angry,” Messi said of his missed penalty. “I just wanted to touch it and the ball went high.”
Who will play in the other Copa America semi-final?
Colombia and Uruguay will meet in the other Copa America semifinal on Wednesday at 8 pm ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
When is the Copa America Final?
The winner of the semifinal will play in the Copa America 2024 Final at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, while the loser will play in the Copa America third-place match in Charlotte on Saturday.