Will Messi have the last laugh? Argentina vs Colombia Copa Final Clash

Kickoff at 9 AM on the 15th… If Messi scores a hat trick, he will be tied for the most goals scored in the tournament, and Argentina will challenge for the 16th title… Rodriguez holds on with 6 assists for Colombia.

'Superstar' Lionel Messi and Argentina are aiming for a second consecutive Copa America (South American Football Championship).

Argentina will play Colombia in the Copa America 2024 final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA at 9:00 AM (Korean time) on the 15th.

After defeating Canada, Chile, and Peru in the group stage to advance to the tournament, Argentina defeated Ecuador in the quarterfinals on penalties, and even overcame the 'dark horse' Canada 2-0 in the semifinals to advance to the finals. 바카라사이트 추천

Now, if they can overcome one more hurdle, Messi will decorate 'The Last Dance' with the championship trophy.

Messi, who is 37 years old this year, hinted at the possibility of retirement ahead of this tournament, saying, "I don't have much time left to play."

Messi, who had only provided one assist in the first match of this tournament, scored the winning goal in the 2-0 victory over Canada.

The goal against Canada was Messi's 14th goal in the Copa America.

If he scores a hat-trick against Colombia, he will move into joint first place on the Copa America scoring list (17 goals) alongside Norberto Mendes (Argentina) and Zinho (Brazil).

Lautaro Martinez, who is leading the tournament scoring race with 4 goals, will also be the top scorer.

Winning the title would be a valuable achievement for the Argentina national team.

Argentina won the previous tournament in 2021 for the 15th time thanks to Lionel Messi's outstanding performance, tying Uruguay as the most-winning country.

If they win this time, they will rise to sole lead.

Argentina's 'rival' Brazil has only won nine times.

However, since Colombia has shown considerable performance, Argentina's challenge for the championship will not be easy.

Colombia advanced to the tournament by beating Brazil in the group stage with 2 wins and 1 draw.

In the quarterfinals, Colombia defeated the relatively easy Panama 5-0 and defeated the title contender Uruguay 1-0 in the semifinals to advance to the finals.

James Rodriguez (São Paulo), who played for prestigious European clubs such as Real Madrid, Luis Diaz (Liverpool) and Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace), who play in the English Premier League (EPL), are in the attack and defense.

Rodriguez, in particular, boasts a precise left-footed kick, having recorded 6 assists.

At 33 years old, Rodriguez is also quite old like Messi, so this could be his last Copa America.

Colombia is undefeated for 28 games (22 wins, 6 draws).

Their last loss was 0-1 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers in February.

Their opponent was Argentina.

If Colombia beats Argentina, it will be their second time winning the trophy in 23 years since 2001.