Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 to win Copa America

Argentina won their first major title in 28 years on Saturday when an Angel Di Maria goal gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil and a record-equalling 15th Copa America.

Di Maria (below) got the winner midway through the first half when he lobbed Ederson after full-back Renan Lodi failed to cut out a long through ball.

Argentina’s win was a particular triumph for Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who picked up his first-ever title in a blue and white shirt after more than a decade of the club and individual honours.

Messi, who missed a golden chance to score with two minutes remaining, finished the tournament’s joint top goalscorer with four goals and was elected joint-best player along with Neymar.

People took to the streets in Argentina to celebrate the win, Argentina's first major title since 1993. Argentine TV celebrated the title as Messi's.

The 34-year-old has been in superb form over the last few weeks, scoring four times – including two trademark free-kicks - and setting up five goals, a tournament-high.

The win brings his dismal run to an end and also caps a remarkable comeback.

Messi was so upset at losing to Chile on penalties in the Copa America final of 2016, exactly as he had done a year before, that he retired from international football.

He changed his mind a few weeks later and helped drag an inconsistent Argentina to the World Cup finals in Russia where once again they crashed out to eventual champions France in the last 16.

Messi failed to score in the knockout stages of the World Cup for the fourth time in a row, raising even more questions about his place on the all-time greats list.

That question has surely been erased after Saturday’s victory in Rio.

- Reuters

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