Lionel Messi wins Copa America: Argentina star ecstatic after winning his first major international trophy
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ByEurosport
Updated 11/07/2021 at 07:28 GMT
Lionel Messi shocked the world when he announced his retirement from international football in 2016 after missing a penalty in the Copa America final against Chile which saw Argentina lose a fourth major final in nine years, but he quickly returned to the national setup. Five years later and it was redemption for Messi. He expressed his happiness after enduring a prolonged series of near misses.
Lionel Messi
Image credit: Getty Images
Lionel Messi could not hide his delight after Argentina won their 15th Copa America on Saturday evening.
For the Barcelona star in particular it was a special night as he won his first major international trophy with his nation in his tenth major tournament.
The 34-year-old is widely considered one of the greatest players in the world, but the lack of major international silverware during his decorated career has always been questioned.
But Argentina put that right on Saturday at the Maracana Stadium thanks to Angel Di Maria's lob in the first half which steered them to a 1-0 win over fierce rivals and tournament hosts Brazil.
Messi struggled to contain his emotions after the game on a historic night for Argentine football.
"It's crazy, the happiness I feel is inexplicable," he said post-match.
"I had to leave sad but I knew that at some point it was going to happen.
"I had a lot of confidence in this group that became very strong since the last Copa América. It is a group of very good people, who always push forward, who never complain about anything.
"There were many days locked up, but the objective was clear and we were able to be champions. The happiness is immense. Many times I dreamed of this.
"I thought of my family when the game ended. Many times we had to suffer, go on vacation and spend the first days feeling sad. This time it is different.
"We are still not aware that we were champions, of what we achieved. But I think it will be a game that will go down in history, not only because we were champions of America but also because we beat Brazil in his country.
"We have to take advantage of this , this new team. I told them that they were going to be the future of the national team and I was not wrong. They demonstrated that, today we are champions.
"They told me that people are celebrating everywhere. I want to thank the people of Rosario for the recognition they gave me.
"I told Fideo (Di María) that today he was going to have his revenge and that's how it was.
"I want to share this with those teammates who were so close so many times and it was not given to them. This is also for them."
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