ARGENTINA SET TO EQUAL SPAIN’S RECORD AFTER WIN VS CANADA TO REACH COPA FINAL

Lionel Messi finally scored at the 2024 Copa America, as he netted one of the goals in Argentina’s 2-0 win against Canada in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.

The Albiceleste have now moved within one win of joining Spain as the only nations to win three straight major titles.

Spain won the European Championship in 2008, were crowned FIFA World Cup winners in 2010 before landing another European trophy in 2012.

On their part, Argentina won the 2021 Copa America before going on to win the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In Tuesday’s semi-finals, Julián Álvarez put Argentina ahead in the 22nd minute, controlling a long pass from Rodrigo De Paul, taking two touches to get away from Moïse Bombito and slipping the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau for his ninth international goal.

Messi made it 2-0 on 51 minutes as he redirected Enzo Fernández’s shot following a poor Ismaël Koné clearance in off the face of Crépeau from four yards.

The former Barcelona star has 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and 14 in Copa America play, three shy of the record. He has scored against 38 different nations.

Also, the goal against Canada was Messi’s 109th international goal. Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with 130 has more international goals than Messi.