Messi Looks to Lead Argentina to Record 16th Copa America Title

Lionel Messi is one win from leading Argentina to a record 16th Copa America title. Colombia will do everything in its power to make sure that doesn't happen in a matchup that pits the juggernaut against the surging force in the final.
It’ll happen Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium, which hosted two group stage matches and will be the site of seven games during the 2026 World Cup.
Ahead of the match, both sides expressed safety concerns after Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez and a handful of his teammates went into the stands amid a physical brawl between fans at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, after Uruguay’s semifinal win over Colombia.
Uruguay captain José Giménez said players went in the crowd to protect their families, and coach Marcelo Bielsa passionately criticized tournament organizers for not doing enough to safeguard families of players seated in the stands behind the Uruguay bench.
“I’m concerned about what could happen tomorrow,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez added it “would be great if we could reinforce security.”
CONMEBOL said in a news release that “any action that tarnishes a global football celebration will not be tolerated.”
Argentina, winner of the Copa America in 2021 and World Cup in 2022, can join Spain from 2008-12 as the only countries to win three consecutive major championships. The Albiceleste made it to Sunday's final without a dominant performance from the 37-year-old Messi, who has battled a leg injury.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner zipped through defenders and created scoring opportunities for his teammates but he did not get a goal until deflecting Enzo Fernández's shot past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau to help seal Argentina's 2-0 win in the semifinal.
Ahead of the final, Messi said he's battled discomfort at times throughout the tournament but assured it won't slow him down on Sunday.
“In the final I’m going to feel better,” he said in an interview with DSports.
Colombia will play in its first Copa America championship in 23 years after extending its unbeaten streak to a team-record 28 games, one more than from 1992-94 and the longest current streak in men’s international soccer.
James Rodríguez has been its best player and arguably the best in the tournament. He leads the tournament with six assists, the most in a single Copa America since data started being tracked in 2011 and surpassing Messi's five in 2021.
“James has had a great Copa America,” Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo said through an interpreter. “We are lucky enough to have him at a very good level. The team has supported him. ... I can only hope that tomorrow his performance will be great.”
According to The Associated Press, Lorenzo praised his team's collective work in getting to this point, which included an emotional win over 15-time champion Uruguay, and thanked Colombian fans for their support — Colombia's matches, along with Argentina's, have been among the most attended.
But Lorenzo also stressed that this should be the norm for the resurgent team that won its only Copa America title at home in 2001.
“We’d love it if it wouldn’t be such a surprise to get to a final, so unexpected,” he said. “We’d like to be always on top. It’s not easy. ... Let’s hope this can last. Let’s hope we can keep on going.”
The sides faced each other in the 2021 semifinal, won by Argentina 3-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. Colombia last beat Argentina in the Copa America group stage in 2019.
“We are going to play our game,” Scaloni said. “You always have a plan, but the final is always a stressful game, and the one who is under the least stress will win.”

Argentina got its Olympic men's soccer campaign back on track by beating Iraq 3-1 on Saturday in Lyon.

Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favorites, suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Morocco in its Group B opening game marred by a pitch invasion from Moroccan fans and a two-hour delay.

While Iraq threatened to pull off another surprise when Aymen Hussein leveled the game in first-half stoppage time, goals from Luciano Gondou and Ignacio Fernandez sealed victory for Argentina.

Thiago Almada, who Argentina coach Javier Mascherano said had a watch stolen when the team's training base was robbed earlier this week, opened the scoring with a volley in the 14th minute at Stade de Lyon.

But Hussein's header in the fifth minute of first half-time added time evened the game before the break.

Gondou's far-post header in the 62nd restored Argentina's lead and Fernandez curled in a long-range shot from the edge of the box in the 85th.

The win leaves Argentina level with Iraq and Morocco on three points. Morocco was playing Ukraine in a later kick off.

Spain advances Spain reached the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic in Bordeaux.

Goals from Fermín Lopez, Alex Baena and Miguel Gutierrez made it two wins from two for Spain in Group C.

Lopez — one of Barcelona’s rising stars — scored in the 24th, but Angel Montes de Oca evened the game in the 38th.

Baena restored Spain’s lead in the 55th and Gutierrez sealed it in the 70th.

Spain’s men are aiming to add to a golden period for its nation’s soccer teams after the women’s team won the World Cup last year and the men won the European Championship earlier this month.

Messi Looks to Lead Argentina to Record 16th Copa America Title