Argentina defeated Brazil in the finals of the Copa America to lift their first major international trophy in 28 years. Angel Di Maria was the only name on the scoresheet as the hosts of the tournament were beaten 1-0 by their rivals to win the competition.
This was Lionel Messi’s first international trophy with Argentina in his illustrious career. The six time Ballon d’Or winner has fallen short of winning a trophy with Argentina five times before. However, today was the day that the player’s wait ended as he lifted the Copa America for his country, as the captain of the team.
It took Messi 150 caps and 76 international goals to reach this point. He was the joint-highest goalscorer in the tournament with 4 goals, and provided the most assists with 5 across all the games to etch his name as the best player in the competition.
Messi was unable to provide a goal or an assist in the match, but it hardly mattered since they came out on the right end of the scoreline. Messi was given a hero’s celebration at full-time, as his teammates lifted him up into the sky and marked the occasion.
Now that he has finally won a major trophy with Argentina, Messi is yet again in contention for the Ballon d’Or award. Although he started off the season slow, he finished the Spanish league as the top scorer yet again.
