Status: 11.07.2021 11:36 a.m.
At last! Lionel Messi’s long wait for a meaningful title with the Argentine national team is over. The 1-0 win over Brazil in the Copa America final freed the 34-year-old superstar from a heavy burden.
Argentine team
Image: Andre Penner / AP / dpa
The long-awaited success with the national team moved Lionel Messi to tears. Visibly moved, the Argentine superstar knelt on the lawn of the Maracanã stadium after the 1-0 (1-0) win in the final of the Copa América over Brazil and covered his face with his hands.
A little later his teammates cheered him on their shoulders. “What great madness. It’s unbelievable,” commented the 34-year-old on winning a major trophy in the national jersey for the first time. “I believe that God saved this success for me – in a final against the Brazilians in their country.”
Match winner Ángel Di María
A dream came true for Messi thanks to Ángel Di María (Paris Saint-Germain) winning goal in the 21st minute of the game. After four lost finals, there was finally reason to celebrate. As if relieved of burdens, the world-class striker hugged numerous teammates and coach Lionel Scaloni. He kissed the hand of the few Argentinian fans in the stands. “I used to be sad. But I knew it would happen at some point,” said Messi enthusiastically. “I’ve never had a happier moment than this.”
“Champion in the court of the enemy,” commented the newspaper “La Nación”, celebrating Messi: “It happened. He cries, is incredulous and moved. He flies through the skies of Rio, driven by his teammates who have been around since childhood must have cried the defeats of their team. ” “Olé” put it no less pathetically: “This face said it all. Beyond the protective mask, happiness could be seen thousands of kilometers away. Lionel Messi’s joy is the joy of millions of Argentines.”
After receiving the Copa America trophy, Messi spoke to his family over the phone on the pitch. He held the gold medal up to the camera and shouted: “I won, I won.”
Messi’s incredible career
The last gap in the impressive career of the six-time world footballer is closed. For despite all his genius, a historic victory with the Albiceleste had so far been denied him. The gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the U-20 world championship in 2005, which is not really important in football, did not meet his expectations. He even announced his resignation from the national team on June 26, 2016, out of frustration at the continued unsuccessfulness, after Argentina lost the Copa America final against Chile on penalties and Messi missed a penalty. His resignation from resignation only a few months later provided nationwide relief.
The win over Brazil ended Argentina’s 28-year streak in football since winning the Copa in 1993. Messi made a significant contribution to this with four goals and five assists. Together with Brazil’s superstar Neymar, he was voted one of the best players in the South American Championship. In every game they had demonstrated their skills, which made them players with technical and tactical quality as well as with intelligence with and without the ball, said a commission of experts from the South American football association Conmebol. “It is impossible to choose just one best player because this tournament has two best players,” the statement said.
Ángel Di María in the intoxication of victory
Just as euphoric as Messi, winning goal scorer Di Maria celebrated the triumph over arch rivals. “We dreamed so much of achieving that,” said the attacker. In the frenzy of victory, the 33-year-old set his sights on the next coup – and didn’t waste a thought on withdrawing from the national team: “That’s enough to continue here. The World Cup is imminent. It’s a big boost,” he said View of the World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022. His teammate Exequiel Palacios received congratulations from his club Bayer Leverkusen via Twitter.
Only a few thousand spectators were able to watch the final in the legendary Maracanã live. The city administration of Rio de Janeiro had only allowed a limited audience due to the corona pandemic. Around 4500 fans and invited guests were ultimately in the stadium and still created a good atmosphere. The Argentine media raved about the Maracanazo II – based on the decisive game of the 1950 World Cup, in which Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1.
Source: sportschau.de