Copa America 2021 Golden Boot race: Lionel Messi ahead of Neymar in race to win top-scorer award
Argentina skipper Lionel Messi is currently on course to win his first-ever Copa America Golden Boot at the ongoing tournament.
Lionel Messi has been the standout performer in the 2021 Copa America. The 34-year-old Argentine captain has scored four goals in the tournament so far, one more than his teammate Lautaro Martinez.
Messi's former Barcelona teammate Neymar is also close, having scored two goals in the tournament. Several other players have also scored two goals at the Copa America, out of which only Lucas Paqueta and Papu Gomez will be competing in the final.
Lionel Messi netted three goals in the group stage which included a brace in a 4-1 win over Bolivia. His other goal in the group stage was against Chile in the opening match of the 2021 Copa America. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner then scored the final goal in Argentina's 3-0 win over Ecuador in the quarterfinals, taking his tally to four in the tournament.
Apart from scoring four goals, Lionel Messi has also contributed a further five assists which has guided Argentina to yet another Copa America final where they will face an in-form Brazil side.
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Lionel Messi looking to break Argentina's trophy drought at the 2021 Copa America
Lionel Messi will be hoping to guide Argentina to their first Copa America title since 1993. Many have criticized the six-time Ballon d'Or for not winning an international tournament with Argentina. The only notable tournament Messi has won with Argentina is a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Since 2014, the 34-year-old has been on the losing end at three major tournaments. They include a 2014 FIFA World Cup final defeat to Germany and two Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016, where Argentina lost to Chile on both occasions.
However, Messi has led with an example in this year's tournament. The Barcelona man has contributed to nine out of the 11 goals Argentina have scored in the Copa America.
His Brazilian counterpart Neymar has also had an amazing tournament. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has scored twice and assisted a further three times.
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