2024-07-10 22:49:16
It has already been reported that the current champion Argentina beat the Canadian national team 2:0 (1:0) in the semifinals of the “Copa America” on Tuesday and reached the final of the tournament, which will take place on July 14.
The 37-year-old Messi was on the field for the whole match and scored the winning goal himself, which was already his 109th accurate shot in the national team, while the 36-year-old forward Di Maria played until he was substituted in the 78th minute.
“As I have said before, I intend to continue playing for the national team,” Messi said after the match. “I continue to live day by day without thinking about what the future holds. I am 37 years old and only God knows when my last game will be.”
The eight-time “Ballon d’Or” winner Messi announced in 2016 that he was ending his career in the national team after the missed post-match kick in the Copa America final loss to Chile, but less than two months later, he changed his mind and returned to the national team. Since then, he has played 73 matches, scored 54 goals and helped the national team triumph in the 2021 “Copa America” and the 2022 World Cup.
Messi has currently played 186 matches in the national team and scored 109 goals, in this indicator he is only behind the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 130 goals in the shirt of the national team.
Meanwhile, di Maria, who played 144 games and scored 31 goals, who scored the winning goal in the final of the “Copa America” against Brazil in 2021, will end his career in the national team after the final match against Uruguay or Colombia.
“This will be my last fight. There is nothing more to say that I haven’t said before,” di Maria said about the upcoming match in the final. “It will be my last game. I want to thank all Argentines and my entire generation of footballers who have allowed me to win so many trophies.”
On the other hand, the head coach of the Argentine national team, Lionel Scaloni, has expressed the hope that Di Maria will change his mind and remain in the ranks of the national team.
“Let’s not shed tears now and let’s not sink into melancholy,” Scaloni said. “Let’s let him play and see if we can convince him to stay with us.”
The South American Championship or “Copa America” is being held in 14 US cities this year and will run until July 14. It is one of the stages of preparation for the 2026 World Cup final tournament, which the USA will host together with Canada and Mexico.
Argentina won the championship held three years ago, beating hosts Brazil 1-0 in the final.
2024-07-10 22:49:16