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.”

South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from rival North Korea and has demanded assurances from organizers the mistake will not happen again.

As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - the official name of North Korea - in French and English.

The announcer used the same introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.

South Korea's vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, had requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, the ministry said in a statement.

"We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering," it said.

South Korea's National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games' organizers and requested that the error will not be repeated.

South Korea's delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.

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