Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero for Argentina as he saved three times in a shootout vs Colombia to take his team into a Copa America final match-up with Brazil.
Copa missing from Messi’s trophy cabinet
When you take a look at Lionel Messi’s trophy cabinet, there isn’t much missing. No player in Barcelona’s history has won more titles than Messi at Camp Nou – 10 LaLiga trophies and four Champions League crowns among his club-record haul of 34 pieces of silverware.
That’s even before you get to his individual accolades and records… six Ballons d’Or to go with being Barcelona and Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer among other things. But there is one glaring absence in Messi’s trophy cabinet – a senior international title with Argentina. Unlike legendary countryman Diego Maradona and even Portuguese foe Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi has never conquered the international stage. Regarded as one of, if not, the greatest footballer of all time, yet Messi has often been the bridesmaid and never the bride with La Albiceleste following three runners-up medals at the Copa America in 2007, 2015 and 2016, while he was left heartbroken in the 2018 World Cup decider.
Rivalry of Argentina and Brazil
Such is the pain, there’s also been periods of international retirement for Messi. The 34-year-old debating whether to shoulder the load of another drought-ending quest for Argentina, dating back to the 1993 Copa America. But, thanks to Emiliano Martinez and his heroics, Messi’s coveted dream of international glory remains alive as the superstar prepares for a fifth final in Argentina colours.
The final obstacle for the player from Rosario and his Argentina falls in the form of old foe Brazil and a ‘SuperClasico de las Americas’ on Saturday in Rio. The rivalry between Argentina and Brazil dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century as both World Cup qualifiers and Copa America games have pitted the South American giants together.