Current champions, the Argentine team begins, from this Thursday, its participation in the Copa América by debuting against Canada in Group A, led by star Lionel Messi, who begins his slow farewell.
The complicated Group A is also made up of Chile and Peru, who will face each other the following day at the AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, one of the 14 cities that will host the competition.
To continue adding records to his inexhaustible list of achievements, as soon as the ball rolls at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, starting at 9pm (Brasília time), Messi will become the player with the most matches played in the tournament (35).
Also favorites for the title they haven’t won since 2019, the Brazilian team will make their debut in Group D on Monday (24), the same day as Colombia’s first game, another candidate, who faces Paraguay in the same bracket.
Coach Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay, also among four contenders for the title, begins its campaign on Sunday (23), against Panama in Miami, in Group C, the same group in which the United States will try to impose the favoritism of playing at home against Bolivia, in Arlington.
🔟 Our captain, owner of the record of appearances in the contest.
🔎 All the details of your participations.
📝https://t.co/hlZz9KLwUi pic.twitter.com/zAuJTj3sy3
— 🇦🇷 Argentina National Team ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) June 20, 2024
On the way to farewell
Messi, who will turn 37 on Monday, will compete in his seventh and final Copa América in the United States, relieved to have put the three finals he lost in the tournament behind him, in 2007, 2015 and 2016.
The ‘Albiceleste’ said goodbye to the 28-year drought with the Copa América title in 2021, the Qatar 2022 World Cup and the Finalíssima in the same year, and now intends to lift the trophy on July 14th in Miami, in the the same country where in 2016 he announced a brief goodbye with the Argentine shirt.
A generation of young talents already accustomed to winning titles like Julián Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández, and others even younger like Alejandro Garnacho, give certainty to the idol and his partner Angel Di María that the legacy is on its way.
An essential figure in Argentina’s latest achievements, Messi has already announced his retirement from the national team at the end of the 2024 Copa América.
Now the big challenge for coach Lionel Scaloni is not to lose control and take advantage of his idols in their last appearances for the national team.
“The balance (since 2021), in addition to the titles, is that we enjoyed a lot. It’s a pleasure to watch them train and play, how they give themselves. I don’t worry about the future of Messi and Di María, there’s not much point in thinking now about when they will no longer be playing. Let’s enjoy them now”, said the coach at a press conference at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Canada ready
Canada is one of six Concacaf teams to compete in the Copa América, for which it qualified by beating Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in the play-off.
His coach, American Jesse Marsch, admits the difficulties of playing against the Argentine team.
“Facing the world champion is a privilege for any team. We are prepared and expecting absolute excellence from Argentina,” Marsch said at a press conference.
In addition to star Alphonso Davies, a Bayern Munich player, what Canada has to offer is in attack, with names with recognized international careers such as Jonathan David (Lille), Tajon Buchanan (Inter Milan) and Cyle Larin (Mallorca).
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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