Despite a spirited performance from Canada, they couldn't prevent Argentina and Lionel Messi from kicking off Copa America 2024 with a victory.
In the opening match of the tournament, defending champions Argentina were given a run for their money by the North American side. Canada missed multiple opportunities in front of goal, and even though Argentina were wasteful they had the quality needed to seal an important win.
Messi himself had an off day when it came to scoring, squandering two clear chances. Despite this, he was instrumental in setting up both goals from a central position. The first goal came in the second half when Messi set up Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, who then passed to Manchester City's Julian Alvarez for an easy finish.
Argentina's performance may not have been their best, but a late goal from Lautaro Martinez, assisted by Messi, secured the three points. Mirror Football takes a closer look at Messi's first performance of the 2024 Copa America.
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Messi in a new role
For a player as talented as Messi, adapting to different roles is no big deal. The 36-year-old has played in various attacking positions throughout his illustrious career, but for this match, Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni moved him into a central role.
Scaloni opted for a 4-4-1-1 formation, a departure from the 4-3-3 they used to clinch the World Cup in 2022. Messi, known for his preference to play centrally, was positioned just behind Alvarez instead of drifting in from the right, allowing him to save energy and make late runs into the box.
Di Maria chemistry excites fans
Angel Di Maria has been heavily linked with Inter Miami this summer (Omar Vega/Getty Images)During the opening game of Copa America, Messi consistently sought out Angel Di Maria, hinting at a potential club-level partnership. Both 36, Messi and Di Maria have been fixtures in the Argentina squad for over a decade and even had a brief stint together at Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister making runs, Messi's instinct was to find Di Maria. The pair could soon be teammates at Inter Miami. Currently a free agent after leaving Benfica, Di Maria has yet to decide his future. However, there is strong speculation that he may sign for Miami this summer and join Messi in MLS.
Still the main man
Messi made history in the Copa America when he played against Canada on Thursday. It marked his 35th game in the competition which surpassed Sergio Livingstone for the most tournament appearances, a record set in the 1950s.
This is also his seventh Copa America, and he remains the driving force for Argentina. The squad is packed with talent, as evidenced by their 2022 World Cup gold medal. However, on Thursday, Messi was the focal point of every play. He set up Mac Allister who then assisted Alvarez for the first goal against Canada, and he also provided the assist for Martinez to seal the game.
Messi's missed opportunities
Messi played as a centre-forward for Argentina on Thursday rather than out wide (2024 Getty Images)Despite being one of the most prolific goalscorers in football history, boasting 835 goals for both club and country, Messi's shooting ability seemed to desert him on Thursday. The 36-year-old squandered three good chances, firing wide of Maxime Crepeau's net.
In a moment where it seemed certain he would score, Messi overcomplicated things and chose the wrong finish. He found himself one-on-one with the Canadian goalkeeper, tried to go around him, but then botched the chipped finish when a powerful strike would have resulted in a certain goal.
Finally takes to the pitch
When Messi made the move to MLS, there was one major talking point: artificial turf. Unlike European football clubs, most American teams use artificial turf and there were rumours that Messi wouldn't play unless natural grass was used due to concerns about injury.
Messi made his first appearance at the stadium on Thursday night, having missed Miami's away game against Atlanta United last season. Mercedes-Benz was one of the stadiums that installed temporary grass to host Copa America games, in line with international football rules requiring grass pitches.
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