Lionel Messi cements status as most decorated footballer of all time as Argentina retain Copa America crown
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has won a recod 45th title with club and country following his latest Copa America success. He did so as La Albiceleste retained their title with a 1-0 extra-time win over Colombia in Miami on Sunday (July 14) in the 2024 Copa America final.
The 37-year-old hobbled off with a swoolen right ankle but celebrated with Lautaro Martinez, who scored the only goal of a tightly contested match in the 112nd minute. It marked a record 16th Copa title for the Albiceleste, breaking a tie with Uruguay, who had lost 1-0 to Colombia in an ill-tempered semi-final.
Lionel Scaloni's side had a near perfect title defence, winning all six games, conceding their lone goal in the 1-1 shootwin win (4-3) over Ecuador in the quarter-final. Messi and Co. have now won a fourth straight international title, a run that started at the Copa America in Brazil three years ago.
In his illustrious career for club and country, Messi has won numerous top prizes, like 10 La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League and two Ligue 1 titles, among multiple domestic and continental honours.
The biggest of them all might be the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he led Argentina from the front, scoring in all four knockout games, finishing with seven goals and three assists in seven games.
How did Argentina captain Lionel Messi fare in his team's triumphant 2024 Copa America campaign?
Argentina attacker Lionel Messi didn't have the best of campaigns at the 2024 Copa America even as his team defended their title in the United States to create more history.
The 37-year-old contributed a goal and an assist in five games in an injury-plagued campaign. Both goal contributions came against Canada, albeit not in the same outing. While the assist came in the 2-0 group-stage win, the goal came in the win by the same scoreline in the semi-finals.
Messi has been blighted by injuries all year, missing multiple games for club and country. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will now return to club action with Inter Miami after a successful campaign with La Albiceleste.