Saturday’s Copa América final will be one of Lionel Messi’s last chances at a first trophy with Argentina, but a nearly flawless Brazil will be at home at the Maracanã with a chance to defend its title.
In search of Argentina’s first Copa América title since 1993, Messi has been nothing short of spectacular this summer; the Argentina star sits atop the goalscoring charts, alongside Colombia’s Luis Díaz, with four goals to go with his five assists.
Messi didn’t score in the semifinals—that honor belongs to Lautaro Martínez, who has scored in each of the last three games for Argentina—but he did score the side’s opening penalty in an epic shootout win over Colombia in the semifinals.
How to Watch:
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV Channel: FS1, Univision, TUDN
Live Stream: You can stream the match on fuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial.
After tearing through the group stage with three wins and a draw, Brazil comes into the final on the back of two consecutive 1-0 wins over Chile and Peru, respectively. Neymar has led the way with two goals and three assists, but Lyon forward Lucas Paquetá has scored both of Brazil’s goals in the knockout stages.
The two sides last met competitively in the 2019 Copa América semifinals, where Brazil prevailed 2-0. However, Gabriel Jesus, one of the goal scorers from the 2019 final, won’t be available for the final after the Man City forward was handed a two-match ban for his egregious red card in the quarterfinals against Chile.
Saturday’s match will be the fourth Copa América final between the South American powers. Their most recent meeting in the Copa América final came in a 2-0 Brazil win in 2007, which was Messi’s first Copa América.
Rio de Janeiro officials announced that the Maracanã will be at 10% capacity. Each team will be able to bring up to 2,200 guests to the final after the tournament was played without fans in the stadiums.
Sports Illustrated may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.
More Copa América Coverage:
