Lionel Messi scored his 109th international goal, leading Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday night and securing their place in the Copa America final. Julian Alvarez opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, and Messi added the second goal in the 51st minute, redirecting Enzo Fernandez’s shot off Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. Messi now has 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and is three goals shy of the Copa America record.
Argentina, aiming for a record 16th Copa title, will face either Uruguay or Colombia in the final. The victory extends Argentina’s unbeaten streak to 10 games. Messi, who turned 37 on June 24, is second only to Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in international goals.
The match, played at MetLife Stadium with a crowd of 80,102, saw overwhelming support for Argentina. Canada’s Alphonso Davies left the game injured in the 71st minute. Despite missing the group stage finale due to a leg injury, Messi played the full 90 minutes in the quarterfinal win over Ecuador and was active throughout the semifinal.
Julian Alvarez’s goal came after a long pass from Rodrigo de Paul, and Messi’s goal followed a sequence involving De Paul and Fernandez. Canadian attempts were thwarted by Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, ensuring Argentina’s clean sheet.
Source – CGTN
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