Lionel Messi displayed his talents both as a player and as a leader in Argentina’s friendly against Guatemala.
The 2024 Copa America gets underway in the United States on June 20, with defending champions Argentina the favourites to once again win the trophy.
Argentina open the tournament as they face Canada in their first group stage match, with Chile and Peru the remaining teams of group A.
Ahead of the tournament, Argentina have been preparing with a series of friendlies, with the most recent against Guatemala.
Lionel Messi’s side went 1-0 down in the fixture, as Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez scored an own goal in the opening five minutes of the match.
However, the 2022 World Cup winners showed composure, and came back to win the match 4-1, with captain Messi involved all four of his team’s goals.
Just eight minutes after conceding, Messi equalised for Argentina after the opposition goalkeeper got his clearance wrong and handed the 36-year-old a certain goal.
However, when his team were awarded a penalty in the 36th minute, rather than step up and seal a first half brace, the Argentine captain showed class as he stepped aside and allowed teammate Lautaro Martinez to take the penalty.
The Inter Milan striker, who has struggled for international goals in his career, fired the ball into the bottom corner and put his team in front.
Martinez thanked Messi after awarding him the penalty against Guatemala. (Image: Getty)
Speaking after the match, Martinez expressed his gratitude: “I looked at him, and he gave it to me. I thanked him, and I thank him publicly as well.
“It’s a gesture from a GREAT, a gentleman both on and off the field. This is very important to me.”
Despite having scored 103 goals in 206 appearances for Inter Milan, Martinez has just 24 goals in 58 appearances for his national team.
Comparatively, Messi has 108 goals in his 182 appearances for the Argentina national team, making him both the most capped player and the higher goalscorer for his country.
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Featured Image Credit: Telefe
Topics: Argentina, Lionel Messi, Copa America, Lautaro Martinez, Football
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
