MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Messi's Argentina advance to Copa America final

Messi scored in Argentina's second 2-0 victory over Canada in the tournament

Title holders and reigning world champions Argentina Tuesday advanced once again to the Copa América final with a 2-0 win over Canada at the MetLife Stadium in the US State of New Jersey with goals from Julián Álvarez and team captain Lionel Messi.

Both teams had already clashed during the tournament's group phase on June 20 at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, when the outcome was just the same: 2-0. Álvarez had already scored then but, instead of Messi, it was Lautaro Martínez who gave “La Scalonetta” the second goal.

Argentina will now face either Uruguay or Colombia for the title. These two squads will face each other Wednesday at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, South Carolina.

The Copa América usually features all ten teams from South America's Football Confederation with no qualifying round. But this time around six squads from the 41-member Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football) were added, Canada being one of them.

Of the 16 teams competing in this year's Copa América, 7 had Argentine coaches. In addition to Argentina's Lionel Scaloni (hence “La Scalonetta”), the six others were Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay), Ricardo Gareca (Chile), Daniel Garnero (Paraguay), Gustavo Alfaro (Costa Rica), Fernando Batista (Venezuela), and Néstor Lorenzo (Colombia). In other words, an Argentine coach will surely be lifting the 2024 trophy.

Argentina won the last version of the event by staging a “Maracanazo” of their own with a 1-0 win in the final over hosts Brazil, who organized the event as a last-minute alternative after the joint bid from Argentina and Colombia was removed from the table given Covid-19 complications. Messi's fellow Rosario-born Ángel Di María scored that day.

The decisive match to be played on July 14 at the Miami Gardens will be Di Maria's last game with the Argentine jersey regardless of the outcome. Canada and the losers of Uruguay v. Colombia will play for third place a day earlier in Charlotte.