EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) 鈥� Lionel Messi and Argentina moved within one win of joining Spain as the only nations to win three straight major titles.
鈥淚t鈥檚 insane what this team has done, what the Argentina national team is doing,鈥� Messi said Tuesday night after his 109th international goal sealed a 2-0 victory over Canada that earned a berth in this weekend's Copa America final. 鈥淔or those who remain from the old guard, it鈥檚 beyond impressive that the national team is in another final.鈥�
in the 22nd minute, controlling a long pass from Rodrigo De Paul, taking two touches to get away from Mo茂se Bombito and slipping the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Maxime Cr茅peau for his ninth international goal.
following a poor Isma毛l Kon茅 clearance in off the face of Cr茅peau from 4 yards in the 51st for his first goal of the tournament. Messi has 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and 14 in Copa America play, three shy of the record. He has scored against 38 different nations.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure if Enzo鈥檚 ball was going to get in,鈥� Messi said. 鈥淚t was a reflex.鈥�
Only Portugal鈥檚 Cristiano Ronaldo with 130 has more international goals than Messi, who turned 37 on June 24. Iran鈥檚 Ali Daei had 108 or 109 from 1993 to 2006, with a lingering dispute over whether a goal against Ecuador in 2000 occurred in a full international match.
With a victory on its independence day, Argentina extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games. The Albiceleste seek a record 16th Copa title when they play Uruguay or Colombia on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida.
鈥淲e have to enjoy every moment of what we鈥檙e are living," Messi said. "I'm conscious that these are the last battles.鈥�
Trying to string together Copa America titles around the 2022 World Cup championship, Argentina hopes to match Spain's feat of winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships along with the 2010 World Cup.
鈥淭hese are statistics. I'm not really interested about it,鈥� Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through a translator. 鈥淭he most important thing is to win.鈥�
Making his 38th Copa America appearance, Messi had missed Argentina鈥檚 group stage finale with a leg injury and was subdued while playing 90 minutes in the . He was much more agile and shot just wide in the 12th and 44th minutes.
Messi had 45 touches and a 79% pass success rate.
鈥淭hey make us pay on small details,鈥� Cr茅peau said.
MetLife鈥檚 temporary grass surface appeared heavy, with water splashing and sand popping up during dribbles.
鈥淚t鈥檚 has been a very difficult Copa Am茅rica,鈥� Messi said, 鈥渧ery competitive, bad surfaces, excessive heat.鈥�
Argentina fans gathered in Times Square on the eve of the match and filled the streets on Manhattan before heading to MetLife Stadium. The crowd of 80,102 on a night with an 82-degree temperature and 82% humidity was overwhelmingly pro-Argentina, with only a few sections dominated by red-clad Canadian supporters.
It was among the biggest games for Canadian soccer, which went 0-6 in its only World Cup appearances in 1986 and 2022 and won its only major title at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Argentina had beaten Canada 2-0 in the on June 20.
鈥淭he tournament caught up with us a little bit,鈥� Canada coach Jesse Marsch said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been heat, there鈥檚 been travel, there鈥檚 been a lot of challenges. ... We鈥檙e still at the beginnings of our process, right? Argentina鈥檚 maybe had eight years together, seven years together with this team, and so we need to develop more players that can contribute so that we can also rotate in tournament play, because eventually the physicality and the fatigue can catch up with you.鈥�
Canada star Alphonso Davies limped off in the 71st minute after his right leg was caught in a clean challenge with Gonzalo Montiel.
"He鈥檚 getting an X-ray, so we鈥檙e hopeful he鈥檚 OK, but we鈥檙e not sure," Marsch said.
Canada had two shots on target: Jonathan David was thwarted by Emiliano Mart铆nez from close range in first-half stoppage time, and Mart铆nez made a kick save on Tani Oluwaseyi in the 89th.
鈥淲e started getting sloppy. We started getting away from the game plan,鈥� said defender Derek Cornelius, who exchanged jerseys with Messi.
While Messi referred to 鈥渓ast battles,鈥� Scaloni and fans hold out hope Argentina and Messi will return to MetLife for the 2026 World Cup final.
鈥淲e will never be the ones to close the door,鈥� Scaloni said. 鈥淗e can be with our team for as long as he wants to be.鈥�
___
AP Copa America coverage:
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
