Dj Vnyash
Lionel Messi expressed that he is enjoying his “last battles” with Argentina after scoring in their 2-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday, securing a spot in the Copa America final. Following a lackluster quarter-final performance against Ecuador, Messi was back in form, working well with Angel Di Maria and Julian Alvarez, who also scored.
“I’m living these moments as I did in the last Copa America and the last World Cup…these are the last battles and I’m savoring them to the fullest,” Messi told TyC Sports after the win, which set up a final against either Uruguay or Colombia.
Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, has not yet decided if he will continue with Argentina for the 2026 World Cup, which will have its final in New Jersey.
In response to Messi’s “last battles” remark, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged for patience. “We must let him be. He knows we won’t be the ones to shut the door on him. He can stay with us as long as he wants, even after retirement…Let him make his own decisions,” Scaloni said.
Messi has the chance to secure a third consecutive major title with Argentina, following their victories in the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 Copa America. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner acknowledged veteran teammates Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi, noting that their success validates the struggles the team endured in previous years.
“It’s incredible what this group has achieved, what the Argentina national team is doing, because it gives meaning to all the tournaments the older generation and I have played in,” Messi told TyC Sports. “It’s not easy for us to reach another final, to compete to be champions again,” he added after the win at MetLife Stadium.
Despite their comfortable win over Canada, Messi emphasized that the tournament has been challenging. “It’s a tough Copa, very balanced, with poor pitches, high temperatures, and strong teams. For us to reach another final is something to cherish,” he said.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez echoed Messi’s sentiments, saying that reaching another final is as thrilling as ever. “It’s a pride as an Argentine, as a representative of this national team, to play in another final. It feels as if it were the first time,” he said.
