With a big smile, Lionel Messi, as captain of Argentina, accepted the trophy for winning “Finalissima”, the match held at Wembley between the South American champions and Italy. Messi and his teammates beat European champions Italy 3-0 in London. “It was a beautiful final with so many Argentines in the stands,” said the 34-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker. “It was a great experience.”
Previously, Messi won almost all the trophies that can be won with FC Barcelona, but for a long time he remained without the main prize in the service of the Argentine national team. The striker won the gold medal with the Olympic team in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, but things always went wrong for Messi and Argentina in the major football tournaments. After losing the 2014 World Cup Final and finishing second in the Copa America three times, Messi finally became the South American champion with his country last year.
Messi was the star, and the Argentines also won the “Finalissima” title at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night. After that, the captain was lifted by his partisan colleagues and thrown into the air several times. “It was a great test because Italy has a great team,” said the 10th seed, who is looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar at the end of this year. “We are not afraid of anyone and want to compete against everyone.”
According to Angel Di Maria, who scored the second goal, winning the Copa America was a liberation for the Argentines. “As a result, the burden has been lifted off our shoulders. Everything has changed. We play with pleasure and everything is now easier for us.”
