KATHMANDU: With goals from Julián Álvarez and Lionel Messi, Argentina has advanced to the final of the CONMEBOL Copa América™ once again.
As the reigning champions from 2021, Argentina will seek to repeat their championship success on July 14.
Their opponent will be determined in the upcoming match between Colombia and Uruguay.
Highlights
Messi’s Milestone: Lionel Messi scored his first goal of this edition of the tournament, marking his 14th career goal in the Copa América.
Álvarez’s Impact: Julián Álvarez, reminiscent of his performance in the 2022 World Cup Semifinal, opened the scoring for Argentina.
Consistent Performers: This marks Argentina’s fourth final in the last five editions of the tournament.
Match Recap
The semifinal clash between Canada and Argentina began with a chaotic yet entertaining first half.
Both teams bypassed midfield play, leading to a match filled with end-to-end action.
Canada, making their debut in this tournament, started strong and created several threatening opportunities near Emiliano Martínez’s goal.
Despite their early dominance, Canada struggled to find clarity in their attacks during the first 20 minutes.
Argentina seized their moment when Rodrigo de Paul delivered a precise pass from the center circle to Julián Álvarez.
The Manchester City forward, displaying exquisite control, found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and capitalized on the opportunity to give Argentina the lead.
This goal mirrored his crucial strike in the 2022 World Cup Semifinal.
Following the goal, Argentina tightened their defense and generated several scoring opportunities.
Ángel Di María came close to replicating his iconic goal from the 2021 Copa América Final against Brazil, and Nicolás Tagliafico also had a notable chance.
Near the end of the first half, Messi’s shot narrowly missed the post, and Jonathan David had Canada’s first shot on goal just before halftime. Argentina led 1-0 at the break.
In the second half, Messi delivered a vintage performance, cutting in from the right and initiating an attack.
After a sequence involving Rodrigo de Paul and Enzo Fernández, Messi deflected a shot into the net, confirmed as a goal after a VAR review.
This marked Messi’s first goal of the tournament and his 14th career goal in the Copa América, extending Argentina’s lead to 2-0.
With a comfortable lead, Argentina managed the game’s pace and made substitutions to refresh their lineup.
Di María was substituted in one of his final appearances for the national team.
Despite Canada’s late pressure and a close attempt by Tani Oluwaseyi, Argentina’s defense, led by Dibu Martínez, held firm.
What’s Next?
Argentina will play in the final of the tournament on July 14 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
They will face the winner of the Colombia-Uruguay match.
Meanwhile, Canada will play in the third-place match on July 13 at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte against the loser of the aforementioned match.
This victory ensures Argentina’s fifth consecutive podium finish in the world’s oldest national team tournament, having reached the final in 2015, 2016, and 2021, and securing third place in 2019.
The stage is set for another thrilling chapter in Argentina’s storied Copa América history.
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