Messi Leads Argentina to 2-0 Victory Over Canada in Copa América Opener

Lionel Messi’s precision through ball set up Julián Álvarez’s goal in the 49th minute, and he later assisted Lautaro Martínez’s strike in the 88th minute, as Argentina kicked off their Copa América title defense with a 2-0 win over Canada on Thursday night.

Argentina, aiming for a third consecutive major title following their 2021 Copa América and 2022 World Cup triumphs, saw Messi make history. With the tournament held in the United States for the second time, Messi played his 35th Copa América match, surpassing Chile’s Sergio Livingstone. He also extended his record with his 18th assist in the competition.

At nearly 37 years old, Messi orchestrated the first goal with a clever header following a throw-in, threading a pass through Canada’s defense to Alexis Mac Allister. The midfielder, despite a collision with Canada’s goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, managed to side-foot the ball to Álvarez, who easily slotted it into an open net for his eighth international goal.

Messi’s record assist came when he charged through the midfield and delivered a perfectly timed pass to Martínez, who netted his 25th international goal.

Messi had a few near-misses himself. In the 65th minute, Crépeau made a diving save, and Derek Cornelius blocked Messi’s rebound attempt. Later, in the 79th minute, Messi missed a one-on-one chance, chipping the ball wide. A sliding tackle by Moïse Bombito in the 82nd minute briefly left Messi shaken, but he continued to play.

Argentina will next face Chile on Tuesday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and conclude the first round against Peru on June 29 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Canada, making their Copa América debut under new coach Jesse Marsch, will play Peru on Tuesday in Kansas City, Kansas, and finish against Chile on June 29 in Orlando, Florida. The tournament, featuring 14 US stadiums and running until June 14, includes six teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean joining the 10 South American squads.

Despite slow starts in previous tournaments, Argentina successfully claimed the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 Copa América. Canada’s best opportunity came in the 43rd minute when Emiliano Martínez made a crucial save, batting away a header from Stephen Eustáquio.