Messi scores 109th goal as Argentina advance to Copa final
Lionel Messi scored his 109th international goal and first of the tournament to lead defending champions Argentina to a 2-0 win over Canada and into the Copa America final last night.
Julián Álvarez put the winners ahead in the 22nd minute and Messi redirected Enzo Fernández’s shot in off the face of goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau in the 51st. Messi has 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and 14 in Copa America play, three shy of the record.
Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with 130 has more international goals than Messi, who turned 37 on June 24. Iran’s Al Daei had 108 or 109 from 1993 to 2006, with a lingering dispute over whether a goal against Ecuador in 2000 occurred in a full international match.
With the victory, Argentina extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games.
Trying to string together championships in consecutive Copa Americas around the 2022 World Cup championship, Argentina are trying to match the feat of Spain when La Roja won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships along with the 2010 World Cup.
Argentina fans gathered in Times Square on the eve of the match and filled the streets on Manhattan before heading to MetLife Stadium, site of the 2026 World Cup final. The crowd of 80,102 on a night with an 82-degree temperature and 82 per cent humidity was overwhelmingly pro-Argentina, with only a few sections dominated by red-clad Canadian supporters.
Canada star Alphonso Davies limped off after his right leg was caught in a clean challenge with Gonzalo Montiel and he was replaced in the 71st minute.
Making his 38th Copa America appearance, Messi had missed Argentina’s group stage finale with a leg injury and was subdued while playing 90 minutes in the quarterfinal win over Ecuador.
He was just wide from the top of the penalty area in the 12th minute after exchanging passes with Ángel Di María, then wide again in the 44th and put a chip over the crossbar in first-half injury time.
Argentina went ahead after Rodrigo De Paul from the centre circle played a long pass to Álvarez, who took a touch at the top of the arc to control the ball from Moïse Bombito. Álvarez took another touch to create space and from near the penalty spot slipped the ball between the legs of Crépeau for his ninth goal in 35 international appearances.