Copa America: Messi goes through gamut of emotions as Argentina beat Colombia in penalty shootout - WATCH
Lionel Messi went through a full range of emotions on Wednesday during Argentina's penalty shootout win against Colombia in the second semi-final of the Copa America 2021. Messi scored his penalty kick and then experienced a roller-coaster of emotions as his team finally prevailed 3-2 to seal a place in the final against arch rivals Brazil.
Messi has reached the final of the Copa America for the fourth time now and he would hope he gets to hold the trophy aloft this time. He and his Argentine team lost in successive finals in 2015 and 201 to Chile, with both losses coming on penalty-shootout. A young Messi was also part of the team that lost 0-3 to Brazil in the final of Copa America in 2007.
WATCH - Lionel Messi reactions during Copa America semi-final penalty shootout in Argentina vs Colombia match
Messi as achieved almost everything in his club career with FC Barcelona. His performances for the Catalan club has seen him win several top individual honours and along with Cristiano Ronaldo, he is considered the greatest footballer of this generation. Yet, his trophy cabinet remains incomplete. That is because of the absence any top tournament win with his national team Argentina.
Copa America: Full schedule, match timing, squads, live telecast and streaming
Messi arrived at the international scene as a precocious young talent and won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal with the Argentine team. He was the cornerstone of Argentina's 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign under the stewardship of the legendary Diego Maradona, but the tournament ended with a quarter-final defeat.
As Messi took over the captaincy of the team, he was expected to guide the team to a new era of success. Things seem to be moving in the right direction as Argentina reached the FIFA World Cup final in Brazil in 2014, for the first time since 1990. But the campaign ended in heartbreak as Argentina lost to Germany in the final.
The 2018 World Cup also ended in disappointment as Messi and Co exited in the round of 16 after a closely fought 3-4 loss against eventual champions France. This Copa America campaign presents Messi with a golden opportunity to end his trophy drought with the national team, who are themselves looking to win the continental title for the first time since 1993.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
