It will be Déjà vu for Lionel Messi as Argentina gets ready to face Chile in the 2024 Copa America. The 2024 Copa America draw was held in Miami yesterday as the teams got to know their opponents. The defending champions, Argentina, have got a fairly favorable draw. However, Messi’s Argentina will be seeking revenge for their bitter loss from seven years ago.
Lionel Messi‘s Argentina has been drawn into Group A with Peru, Chile, and the winner of the playoff match between Canada against Trinidad and Tobago. The tournament has returned to the United States after seven long years, being hosted there last in 2016. However, the 2016 Copa America has to be one of the most bitter memories for Messi.
🏆 THE GROUPS OF THE COPA AMERICA 2024.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/xMyaRkZpf3
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) December 8, 2023
After losing the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 Copa America final, Argentina reached the 2016 Copa America final. They faced their opponents from the previous year’s final, Chile. However, Argentina was unable to put down the ghosts from last year’s final as they lost to Chile in the shootout. Messi, who missed his penalty kick, shockingly announced his retirement from international soccer.
25th June, Argentina returns to face Chile again at the Metlife Stadium, the same stadium where the 2016 Copa America final was held. pic.twitter.com/AvFRP8sUo6
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) December 8, 2023
Argentina will once again face Chile in the group stages of the Copa America next year. Ironically, it’s going to be held at the MetLife Stadium, the venue for the 2016 fame. In addition to this, the match will be played on June 25 while the 2016 game was played on June 26. With such a massive build-up to the game, the onus will be on Lionel Messi’s Argentina to exact their revenge against Chile.
Lionel Messi’s comeback from international retirement to becoming World Champions
Lionel Messi’s international career hasn’t always been a bed of roses. Being labeled as ‘the next Diego Maradona’ from a very young age, the expectation of Messi has always been huge.
However, while Messi had success after success for his club FC Barcelona, that wasn’t the case at the national team. Messi lost three finals with Argentina and even retired for a few months after the 2016 Copa America final defeat.
However, as the adage goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going! Messi tasted a major international success for the first time when he led Argentina to victory against Brazil in the Copa America 2021 final. The following year, he won the Finalissima against Italy before his crowning moment- winning the World Cup 2022.