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Lionel Messi; James Rodriguez (L-R)
Credit: Reuters Photo; Reuters/Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Lionel Messi has become the captain of an international team who has led his squad to the most number of finals across all major tournaments. Now as Argentina take on Canada in the final of the 2024 Copa America, all eyes will be on the little man from Rosario, as his fans will pray for his third major tournament win in the Albiceleste colours.
This edition of the Copa America is likely to represent the last chance for many senior squad members to add to their trophy collection with the national team.
Angel di Maria, 36, said last year he would retire from international football after the Copa America, while Messi, 37, and Nicolas Otamendi, 36, are both nearing the end of their careers.
"You know how I feel about Angel. We don't want to retire him earlier than needed," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
"We don't want to feel melancholy. We have to let him play, and then we'll see if we can convince him or not to stay with us. But so far, he's here, and he has to be allowed to enjoy this moment," he further added.
"For Leo (Messi), it's similar to Angel. We have to let him be and we will never be the ones to close the door. He can be with our team for as long as he wants to be. And if he wants to retire but still come and hang around, it would be great," the World Cup-winning coach said.
On the other hand, Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo was delighted that his gamble to stay on the attack against Uruguay despite going down to 10 men paid off on Wednesday after they emerged with a 1-0 win that set up a Copa America final against Argentina.
Colombia's victory also set a national record of 28 matches unbeaten and Lorenzo paid tribute to former boss Francisco 'Pacho' Maturana, who went 27 games without defeat.
"Pacho and his group, they gave us a very important legacy. They left it for us and that was the foundation for Colombian football," he said.
"So I'm not superior to him, this benefits Colombian football."
When and where to watch
The Copa America final is scheduled for Monday, 5:30 am IST. The match will be held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
No TV channel or streaming platform will be showing the match live in India. However, one can follow live updates of the match on google and other sports media platforms.
Fox Sports is the official streaming partner for this year's Copa America.
(With Reuters inputs)