The 2021 Copa América final (47th edition) will take place by 1 a.m. Nigerian time on Sunday, July 11, between Argentina and Brazil at the iconic Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In what’s been touted as a ‘Messi vs. Neymar’ game, 7,800 fans — which is 10 percent of the Maracanã’s full capacity of 78,000 — will be cheering the two teams from the stands. This would make it the first match with spectators in the 2021 Copa América.
The Argentina-Brazil rivalry stretches far back to 1914 when both teams first met, a game which Argentina won 3-0.
Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina will enter Saturday’s final on an emotional high, following their semifinal 3-2 defeat of Colombia in a tense penalty shootout that saw Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez make three saves for La Albiceleste.
Title-holders Brazil managed to scrape out a semifinal win against Peru, thanks to a first-half goal from Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta which sent Selecao to a second successive Copa América final.
Paqueta also netted the winner in the quarter-finals against Chile and will be among those to pose a threat to Argentina.
Both teams have reached the final unbeaten, winning five out of their six matches. While Brazil have scored 12 goals and conceded 2 goals, their rivals have found the back of the net 11 times and conceded 3 goals.
Brazil will be without striker Gabriel Jesus, who was slammed with a two-match ban following an unscrupulous foul on Peru’s Eugenio Mena in the semifinal match — an advantage that Argentina will be looking to capitalise on.
Both Argentina and Brazil will be counting on Lionel Messi and Neymar Junior respectively, both of whom have been phenomenal in the competition thus far.
Messi, who has been the best player of the tournament, has scored four goals and made five assists. He has had a direct influence on nine out of the 11 goals Argentina has scored. Compared to Messi, Neymar has scored two goals and provided three assists, contributing to five goals out of Brazil’s 12 strikes.
For Messi, Saturday’s final presents a chance, perhaps the final one, to win a major international trophy with Argentina, a feat that has eluded the FC Barcelona skipper despite reaching three Copa América finals (in 2007, 2015, and 2016) and a World Cup final (in 2014).
It is also Argentina’s chance to win a trophy after 28 years without silverware. The last time that La Albiceleste won any trophy was in 1993 when they nipped the Copa América title. Regardless, they hold the record as the team with the second-most Copa América titles (14), topped only by Uruguay’s 15 titles.
Brazil have 9 titles under their belt and are gunning for a ‘decima’. Their last Copa América title was won in 2019, but Neymar was not in the team due to injury and which is why the PSG star will be eager to clinch the coveted trophy, even if to stomp critics who have been vocal over his recent inconsistent form, in large part due to his injury woes.
The two teams have played 33 matches against each other in Copa América history, in which time Argentina won 15 while Brazil won 10. They have also had to settle for 8 draws.
Nonetheless, Brazil have a better record as they have not lost a final to Argentina since 1937 in the Copa América final played in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2005, Argentina lost the Confederations Cup final to Brazil. In 2004 and 2007, La Albiceleste were also beaten by Brazil at the Copa América final.
Brazil were also responsible for knocking out Argentina (2-0) in the semifinal stage of the 2019 Copa América.
Argentina will find comfort in the fact that their last meeting with Brazil — on November 15, 2019 — ended in a 1-0 Argentina win, albeit it was a friendly match and that Brazilian side was without Neymar.
Brazil are slight favourites, but Argentina will be counting on the brilliance of Messi and hoping that Emiliano Martínez replicates his semifinal magic.
Messi will also be eyeing a personal record at Maracanã, as the Argentina captain has reached 76 goals in 149 games for the national team and is one goal away from Pele’s record of the most goals ever scored for a CONMEBOL nation, with 77 goals in 92 appearances.
For Neymar, his friendship with Messi is “on the line” as the former two club-mates slug it out in Saturday’s duel.
“Messi is, as I’ve always said, the best player I’ve ever seen play and he’s a great friend, but now we’re in a final, we’re rivals. I want to win and I really want to win this title, which would be my first Copa America.
“Messi has been looking for his first title with the national team for many years, and every time we [Brazil] are not present at the tournament, I cheered for him. That’s what I’ve been cheering for in the 2014 World Cup final when he faced Germany.
“Now Brazil is in the dispute, so our friendship is on the line. The respect between us is still great but only one can win.
“When you’re friends with someone, it’s hard to forget the friendship you have – but for example when you play video games with a friend, you want to beat him anyway. It’ll be the same thing on Saturday.”
Argentina vs. Brazil predicted lineups:
Argentina XI (4-3-3): E Martinez; Molina, Pezzella, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Lo Celso; Messi, L Martinez, Gomez.
Brazil XI (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Silva, Sandro; Fred, Casemiro; Richarlison, Paqueta, Everton; Neymar.
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