"Messi was not a factor this tournament" – MLS icon Alexi Lalas rates Lionel Messi display after Argentina's Copa America win
Ex-United States international Alexi Lalas has offered his thoughts on Lionel Messi and his involvement in Argentina's recent Copa America glory in the United States.
Earlier this Sunday (July 14), Argentina maintained their perfect record at the Copa America 2024 as they defeated Colombia 1-0 in the final. Lautaro Martinez bagged the winner in the 112th minute of the clash.
During the summit clash at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Messi was substituted off in the 66th minute after sustaining an ankle injury. Opining on the injury, Lalas said on his State of the Union Podcast:
"It's sad because I want to see him like anybody else. In a strange way, it put an exclamation point on this Argentina team, which we know is not the prettiest. Part of what makes this team great is their ability to be flexible, their ability to adjust to the situation. That situation could be relative to the opponent, to the weather, to the field... they adjust to it in order to get the job done."
Lalas, who played 169 times in the Major League Soccer (MLS), said:
"This particular team has now done it without him. Let's be honest, Messi was not a factor this tournament and he certainly was not a factor today. Even when he left the field, as much as we gasped that he left, it didn't change the equation. As a matter of fact, the substitutes came on and ultimately did what they needed to do."
Commenting on the eight-time Ballon d'Or award winner's attitude after Argentina's Copa America glory in Miami, the 54-year-old added:
"I'm not saying that Messi can't help this team and isn't going to be a part of this team over the next couple of years. But I think it was important for them to do it without him. And I think, he would be the first person [to acknowledge it]. We saw it after the game, how important it was to him and how much he enjoyed celebrating even though he had very little to do with this."
How did Argentina lift Copa America trophy despite Lionel Messi's lacklustre displays?
Argentina, who have now won four trophies in four years, finished atop Group A of the Copa America 2024. They defeated Canada 2-0 in their opener before beating Chile 1-0 and Peru 2-0 in the group-stage.
Lionel Scaloni's team triumphed over Ecuador 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation time of the quarter-final. After Lionel Messi missed a penalty, Emiliano Martinez made two vital saves.
In their Copa America semi-final clash, the current world champions recorded a 2-0 win over Canada at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.