Copa America 2021

Lionel Messi is the first in football history to win the best player in major national team championships award three times

 

I’m delighted for Messi that Argentina won that but I’ll never forget that game for how bad it was, and that’s the general impression I get any time I watch the Copa America.

I honestly can’t believe how poor that was considering how many top quality players were on the pitch, all playing for top clubs and excellent players in their own right.

Out of the 97 scheduled minutes or whatever is was, I’m going to be generous and say the game was active for about 50 minutes.

I don’t think a team kept the ball for more than 10 seconds even when passing along the back line. Almost zero link up play. * taking diving and play acting to another level. Awful but hilarious to watch.

 

Messi - the greatest of all time

 

The Argentina/Brazil rivalry in India is so bizarre

 

Stand by it mate. He’s a phenomenal goal scorer, probably the best ever goal scorer but in terms of footballing ability? Messi is so far ahead. Ronaldo is a machine but I think Messi is in front by a fair amount. When I watch Messi play football, it’s absolutely joyous. I grew up watching the Real Madrid Galacticos. The originals and I loved everything about Real Madrid then. Messi made me love Barca.

 

*?

 

Would have loved him to score that chance at the end. Would have just seemed better to have won it with a Messi goal.

The romantic in me still holds out for Argentina winning the next World Cup. Aye it's unlikely but would be proper fairytale stuff for 36 year old Messi to score the winner in a WC final

 

Staggering ignorance and arrogance from some European based idiots to suggest the European Championships count for more than the Copa America. The tears of disappointment and joy from the respective teams tell you all you need to know how much it means in South America.

Very fitting that Argentina lift the trophy less than a year since the greatest player of all time in my opinion Diego Maradona died.

 

Delighted for Argentina and Messi winning last night.

Uruguay, Chile and Colombia have showed in the past few world cups that they are good sides and Argentina faced all of them without defeat and then played Brazil who have been excellent as of late. People trying to diminish the Copa America don't watch it or don't know much about it and downplay those that win it because of certain European players

 

Totally 100% agree mate

 

Fate awoke me after the only goal and I decided to suck it up & stay up to hopefully watch the joy a victory that has eluded him for so long materialize

There have been amazing moments in the Copa but South American football is nearly American football with permissive referees to boot. It was an ugly match and I was nervous for Messi as he looked to be on fumes even early in 2nd half (apparently nursing an injury according to Scaloni) while Neymar was growing more influential in the match

Of all his Intl Finals appearances, this was his least impressive individual performance but suffering only made victory sweeter I suspect

I have long felt that as a fan that has been treated to such joy from a single athlete for so long, all I could ever hope for is him attaining what had eluded him that would bring him a unique joy.

Not money or anything else for the but feeling joy for bringing happiness to his countrymen, for that it was priceless for me to witness

 

This. It’s quite unbelievable how much I admire, respect and religiously defend him when I have absolutely no allegiances to him in terms of where he plays football. Celtic are the love of my life and 99% of my footballing heroes and/or the legends are Celtic players/managers/coaches. The joy he has given me when watching football, not that I watch a lot of football outside of Celtic but I do watch Barcelona and I don’t think there will ever be a player again.

People now talk about Haaland, Mbappe, Foden, De Bruyne, Neymar replacing Messi/Ronaldo. Then you look at the two international tournaments we have going on. Ronado, top goal scorer in the Euros. Messi, too goalscorer and top assist maker in the Copa America. These guys are still streets ahead in my opinion and that’s ridiculous given their ages. I’ve probably sounded harsh when I talk about Ronaldo, I want to make it clear that I think he’s one of the greatest players in the history of the game but when I watch Lionel Messi, I get a joy that I’ve never experienced before. Didn’t think anyone would ever come close to Henrik Larsson or Scott Brown in terms of my adoration but he does. And I find that crazy given he’s never played for Celtic or Scotland.

I’m so happy for him, I’m happy for football because I think it ends the debate clearly. He’s the best, no one comes close.

 

Apart from Diego Maradona.