overview
The stage is set for a performance that can be considered the end of Lionel Messi at the international level. Argentina will meet Colombia in the 2024 Copa America final with the task of defending the throne.
Hard Rock Stadium is where Messi and Albiceleste aim to win their 16th Copa America championship. This could also be their second consecutive championship after defeating Brazil in the 2021 final.
On the other side of the front line, Colombia is one of the most impressive teams in this year's tournament. They are on a 28-match unbeaten streak and are playing sublimely at Copa America 2024 with inspiration James Rodriguez. Colombia excellently defeated Uruguay in the semi-finals despite playing without players.
Meanwhile, Argentina did not have much difficulty overcoming Canada with a score of 2-0 in the semi-finals. Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi are the scorers for Argentina.
Notably, El Pulga admitted that he is in his final matches at the international level. After leading Argentina to glory at Copa America 2021 and World Cup 2022, Messi can end his international career with three consecutive major titles.
At this year's tournament, it was not until the semi-final against Canada that the former Barcelona striker scored his first goal. This is also his 12th shot at Copa America 2024.
Messi has scored in six different Copa America editions, equaling the record set by Zizinho in 1957. El Pulga's semi-final goal came 17 years and one day after his first Copa goal. America, against Peru in 2007. That gap was the longest between goals by a single player in the history of the tournament, breaking the previous record also held by Zizinho (15 years and 52 days from 1942 to 1957 ).
Meanwhile, Colombia had 5 headed goals in this year's tournament, the most in a Copa America since Argentina's 6 goals in 1991.
Nestor Lorenzo's team proved extremely effective in attack with 12 goals scored, compared to 8.49 expected goals. Colombia is only ranked 6th in the number of touches in the penalty area (104) but ranked 3rd in the number of shots from inside the box (59).
Conceding only twice, Lorenzo's army is also very solid in defense. Each match, they only recorded an average of 0.51 expected goals, the lowest number in the tournament.
That solid defense created the foundation for captain Rodriguez and Luis Diaz to comfortably attack. The duo ranked third and fourth in expected assists, respectively, among all players in the tournament (1.67 and 1.37).
Rodriguez's six assists at the 2024 Copa America are the most at the tournament since 2011, surpassing Messi's total of five in 2021.
Confrontation achievements
Colombia has won only once in the last 12 matches against Argentina (5 draws, 6 losses). That was a 2-0 win in the 2019 Copa America group stage.
The two teams have met 15 times before at Copa America, in which Argentina won 7, Colombia won 3 and the remaining 5 matches were draws.
Probable teams:
Argentina : E. Martinez, Molina, Romero, L. Martinez, Tagliafico, De Paul, Mac Allister, Lo Celso, Gonzalez, Messi, L. Martinez.
Colombia : Camilo Vargas, Johan Mojica, Carlos Cuesta, Davidson Sanchez, Santiago Arias, Jefferson Lerma, Richard Rios, Luis Diaz, James Rodriguez, Jhon Arias, Jhon Cordoba.
The match between Argentina vs Colombia takes place at 7:00 a.m. on July 15 (Vietnam time), live on K+, VTC.
