Lionel Messi has broken yet another record, following Argentina's 2-0 win against Canada in the semi-final of the Copa America.
Argentina breezed past the Canadians with goals from Julian Alvarez and Messi, who scored his first goal of the tournament.
The World Cup holders will now face either Uruguay or Colombia in the final, as they look to become the first nation to win three consecutive major international tournaments since Spain.
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Messi's side had already played and defeated Canada in this tournament, with the nations opening their campaigns against each other during the group stages.
The first game was shrouded in controversy after Argentina failed to come out for the second half on time, with Canada boss Jesse Marsch demanding Argentina were fined for their behavior.
“Now, I wish again, the referees would manage that. If we were five minutes late, we’d get a fine. There’d be a big problem. Let’s see what happens with Argentina. I think they have to be fined," Marsch explained.
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Despite Argentina abiding by the timings in the second meeting, the 2-0 scoreline remained identical which helped Messi create an impressive piece of history.
Victory on Wednesday means Messi has taken his country to seven major international finals, with five in the Copa America and two in the World Cup.
The 36-year-old surpasses Brazilian legends Cafu and Roberto Carlos who each reached six finals.
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The Inter Miami star has won two of his six finals so far and will be desperate to add a third to his trophy cabinet as he winds down his career.
Messi has one assist and one goal so far this tournament which might actually be considered a disappointing return given his high standards, particularly when you consider the quality of the opposition.
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Topics: Argentina, Copa America, Lionel Messi, Football, Inter Miami
Tom Jenkins