Speaking after the semi-final match on July 10, contributing a goal to help Argentina defeat Canada 2-0, Messi confirmed: ‘The 2024 Copa America final could be my last match in the national team’.
“Yes, I know that this could be one of the last matches of my career (the 2024 Copa America final on July 15). I’m enjoying it to the fullest. It’s not easy to get to the final again, we need to enjoy, and enjoy every moment we have now,” Messi said in a quick interview after the semi-final against Canada. The 37-year-old was also voted man of the match, after contributing a goal to seal the score and playing with great effort to help the Argentine team completely dominate their opponents from the CONCACAF region.
“This is the fourth consecutive final for the current group of Argentina players. This is not an easy achievement. It’s crazy. The current group of players has shown great qualities, we overcame many difficulties together, achieved success and continued to hold it. What we have now, also shows the importance of the previous generation of players, when they experienced many failures. To achieve today, we have achieved achievements accumulated from previous experiences,” Messi shared.
Messi and the current generation of Argentina have played in three major finals before, including the 2021 Copa America final, the Intercontinental Super Cup and the 2022 World Cup. They have won all three finals. The upcoming 2024 Copa America final will be the fourth. This is also an opportunity for Messi and his teammates to defend the championship title won in 2021 in Brazil.
“What we achieved was very difficult, we have to take advantage of it. Enjoy it and try to win another championship trophy,” Messi emphasized.
He also said: “Copa America is a difficult tournament, very harsh, with extremely harsh temperatures and weather. The fact that we are in the final is a huge thing. Battles like this are always the last battles in my career at this age. I am enjoying them to the fullest.”
At Copa America 2024, Messi only scored 1 goal and had 1 assist. He increased his record of playing to 38 matches, and equaled the record of scoring 14 goals after 7 times participating in Copa America with 2 players Paolo Guerrero (Peru team) and Eduardo Vargas (Chile).
The 37-year-old player also surpassed former player Ali Daei (Iran) to become the second person to score the most goals in the history of world football. He currently has 109 goals in 186 matches in international tournaments for the Argentina team, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo (scored 130 goals).
