"The Copa America is over and the first thing I want to thank everyone for the messages and greetings," Messi said on Instagram, one day after injuring his right ankle in the Copa final against Colombia in Miami.
Sunday's final, which Colombia lost to Argentina, started over an hour late after police initiated a lockdown that left hundreds of fans stuck outside Florida's Hard Rock Stadium. Videos on social media showed security scuffling with fans attempting to breach the gates.
Hard Rock Stadium will host seven games at the 2026 World Cup which the USA is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.
From the depths of despair to the heights of glory, Argentina's redemption story is a testament to perseverance and the indomitable spirit of camaraderie.
Cheering fans, many wrapped in Argentine flags, partied around the city's iconic Obelisk in the early hours of the morning despite the low temperatures of the southern hemisphere winter.
This was Messi’s fourth straight international title, having won the Copa America in 2021, the Finalissima in 2022 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022 before defending the Copa title this year in the USA.
"I don't know if it marks an era, but it's true this team never ceases to surprise, they overcame the difficulties of a very difficult match, with a very complicated opponent and without a good first half," Scaloni said.
"We could not ask those guys for anything more, they do not stop giving us joy amid all the economic tension that we live with day-to-day," said Pablo Rutz, a 26-year-old student.
The Argentines, who won the tournament in 2021 and went on to hoist the 2022 World Cup, are no strangers to Copa America success.
The tournament brings together 10 South American teams and six from North and Central America and the Caribbean in the second Copa hosted by the United States.
"I've played against him [Messi], coached against him a few times and had some successes, but he always finds ways to make a difference because his quality is so amazing. So, that'll be the challenge for us," said Canada head coach Jesse Marsch.
The 108-year-old competition is being held in the United States with the host nation among six teams from the CONCACAF region joining the 10 South American nations looking for a place in the July 14 final in Miami.
"It doesn't make much sense to think about when they're gone. Let's enjoy them now, we'll see what happens later. Messi is fine, he's happy. I'm with renewed ideas and strength. It's a nice challenge to defend the title," Scaloni said.
The 48th edition of Copa America, South America's biggest football competition, will be played in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024.
A set of poor results could generate a lot more unwanted pressure for A Seleção.
Brazil has an embarrassment of riches in this category, but the feature man is Vinicius Jr., who some believe is the current best player in the world after leading Real Madrid to yet another Champions League title.
When you have the greatest living player on Earth, you're going to be a favorite. That's certainly the case with Lionel Messi's Argentina, who have an extremely high-quality supporting cast around the still-magical, soon-to-be-37-year-old
“This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer. It’s getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority."
