Messi Magic Sends Argentina Marching to Copa America Final with Dominant 2-0 Victory over Canada
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Lionel Messi scores his 109th international goal to lead Argentina past Canada and into their third consecutive major final at the Copa America.
Argentina continued their quest to defend their Copa America title with a convincing 2-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday night. The hero of the night was once again Lionel Messi, who netted his 109th
goal, surpassing Ali Daei’s record to become the second-highest international scorer of all time, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo.The match, played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, saw Argentina take control early on. Young forward Julian Alvarez opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a clinical finish after darting past the Canadian defense.
Canada came out strong in the second half, but Argentina remained composed. The experienced leadership of Messi shone through as he doubled Argentina’s lead in the 51st minute with a well-placed deflection off Enzo Fernandez’s shot.
This win marks Argentina's third consecutive major final appearance, having won the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup. Their opponents in the final will be determined later this week.