Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez Help Argentina Beat Canada 2-0 To Enter Copa America 2024 Final

Argentina vs Canada Copa America 2024 Semifinal: Argentina beat Canada 2-0 to enter the final of Copa America 2024. They are set to play either Uruguay or Colombia in the tournament's final.

The defending champions Argentina secured victory over Canada with goals from Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez. It marked Messi's first goal of the tournament.

Source : X/ @Argentina

Argentina vs Canada Copa America 2024 Semifinal: Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 in the Copa America 2024 semifinal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 9 (Tuesday), advancing to their second consecutive final. The defending champions’ victory was led by goals from Julian Alvarez and captain Lionel Messi, who scored his first goal of the tournament. Argentina will now face either Uruguay or Colombia, who play on Wednesday, in the final on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Argentina absorbed early pressure before Alvarez slipped between two defenders to score with a tidy finish in the 22nd minute. Messi, who had multiple chances throughout the match, doubled the lead in the 51st minute by redirecting Enzo Fernandez’s shot past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

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Messi Climbs All-Time Goalscorers Charts

Messi scored his 109th international goal, bringing his tally to 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and 14 in Copa America. Lionel Messi also climbed to second place on the all-time list of international goalscorers with his 109th goal, surpassing Iran's Ali Daei. The 37-year-old now trails only Cristiano Ronaldo, who tops the charts with 130 goals in international football.

Making his 38th Copa America appearance, Messi had missed Argentina’s group stage finale with a leg injury and was subdued during the quarterfinal win over Ecuador. He narrowly missed from the top of the penalty area in the 12th minute after exchanging passes with Angel Di Maria and had other near misses in the 44th minute and first-half injury time.

With this victory Argentina extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games. Argentina are now aiming for a record 16th Copa title. Now in the Copa America final, they seek to match Spain’s feat of winning consecutive championships, having won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 World Cup, by securing back-to-back Copa America titles around their 2022 World Cup victory.