Lionel Messi was not happy after his team was beaten by Brazil in the 2019 Copa América — so unhappy he suggested the match was rigged.
Messi will be even unhappier after being handed a three-month ban for his comments.
It’s with great sadness that our summer of soccer 2019 draws to a close. The USWNT lifted the World Cup, Brazil triumphed on home soil at the Copa América, Mexico reclaimed the Gold Cup and we’re into the final week of the Africa Cup of Nations. Unless you’re eagerly anticipating the ICC, our glorious summer is at an end.
After a disappointing Copa América, Lionel Messi seems to be attempting to the kill his officiating frustrations with kindness.
Messi’s family restaurant is providing hot meals for the homeless in Rosario pic.twitter.com/miREIBuiig
Sunday will be perhaps the greatest day of international soccer viewing in the history of the sport.
At 11 a.m. ET, the United States takes on the Netherlands in the 2019 Women's World Cup final.
At 4 p.m. ET, Brazil hosts Peru in the 2019 Copa América final.
And at 9 p.m. ET, rivals Mexico and the U.S. face off in the 2019 Gold Cup final.
It’s a day full of big matches, and that’s not even counting the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 and a couple big MLS clashes.
Last night in Belo Horizonte, Brazil defeated Argentina 2-0 to advance to the final of the 2019 Copa América, thus prolonging Lionel Messi’s wait for a crowning glory in international play.
The match was a real humdinger, featuring a Seleção side frightening in both defense and attack and an Albiceleste unit that didn’t make playing cohesive football look like an impossible task. This was probably the best Argentina’s looked since 2016.
Brazil secured passage to the 2019 Copa América Final in Rio de Janeiro with a 2-0 victory over Argentina on Tuesday, marking another low point in the calamitous international career of Lionel Messi.
To be fair to Messi and his compatriots, Brazil was the massive favorite in this one, and the squad features a defense that’s now gone 450 minutes without conceding a goal. In attack, the likes of Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus and the ageless Dani Alves put on a show, mastering a La Albiceleste side that played its best game of the tournament.
Even before Tuesday night's Copa America semifinal, the heated rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is already in full effect. It’s been reported that Brazilian fans began lighting off fireworks off in front of the Argentina team hotel at 1:00 a.m. in Belo Horizante, Brazil, and continued to do so throughout the night and into the morning.