After presiding over PSG’s successful Champions League title defence, Luis Enrique put his name up in lights in the hall of fame for football’s greatest-ever managers.

Having previously guided Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2014-15, the Spaniard secured his third European Cup triumph as a coach. He joined an elite group of managers with three or more European Cup titles, alongside Carlo Ancelotti, who won a record five, and Bob Paisley, Zinedine Zidane and Pep Guardiola, who have each lifted the trophy three times.

Getting one over Guardiola

By going back to back, Enrique achieved what even his good friend Guardiola — who has a case for being considered the greatest ever — could not. And he did it in some style, with his PSG team being feted for its silky interplay and bewildering movement.

Enrique’s insistence on high-intensity, high-pressure football with electrifying forwards who dribble through defences has created a rare blend — arguably even improving on Guardiola’s iconic Barcelona side which won the Champions League twice. He has expanded on the possession-based ideas of Spain’s best teams, adding risk-taking and transitional threat.

Enrique’s PSG plays structured positional football, typically a 3-1-6 in possession. But there is fluidity within this formation — it’s not the same players in the same positions at all times. The side can pull apart most defences with its clever positional interchanges.

While PSG couldn’t break Arsenal down in the final, which went to penalties, it still created several headaches for the English champion, which Enrique said was the best team in the world out of possession. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said after the game that his plan wasn’t to have just 25% of the ball, but PSG’s dominance had precipitated the situation.

“It’s not a plan to play in certain scenarios when you don’t have the ball but they force you to do that,” Arteta, who admitted to being inspired by Enrique and PSG, said. “What they are able to do with the ball, individual actions, I haven’t seen it [before]. And so even more praise to them.”

In many ways Enrique is the defining figure of this PSG project, after the megastars, Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, departed. As Arteta said, “His fingerprints are all over this team.” Enrique arrived in Paris in 2023 promising a cultural shift rather than instant glamour. The Spaniard wanted a team in which collective sacrifice outweighed individual status, where the biggest names defended, pressed and suffered together. It’s fair to say he has succeeded.

After Mbappe left in 2024, Lucho, as he is nicknamed, said his team would become even stronger. “Having a player who moved wherever he wanted meant there were parts of the game I couldn’t control… next year, I’ll control everything. Everything,” he said. And he did.

The club still invested heavily in players, but players tailored to their manager’s plans, willing to run endlessly for the collective, and keep egos in check. “I arrived at the club thinking, ‘My objective is to make history,’ and we have indeed made history,” Enrique said. “We want to keep writing the story because we believe there’s still more there for us to achieve.”

Trophy-winning dynasty

Enrique has won 12 trophies, including three Ligue 1 titles, during his time at PSG. It is clear, from inside and outside, the effect the Asturian has had on a club built in his image, capable of creating a modern football dynasty. But while there is no doubt about Enrique’s quality, the question of his legacy, specifically the PSG chapter, is less straightforward.

The French team, built with Qatari riches, continues to face questions about ‘sportswashing’, which global campaigning network Greenpeace defines as “the act of sponsoring a sports team or event in order to distract from bad practices elsewhere. This tactic is often used by companies and governments with poor environmental or human rights records, exploiting people’s love of sports to ‘wash’ their image clean”.

Qatar Sports Investments acquired a controlling stake in PSG in 2011, just under a year after Qatar was named host for the 2022 World Cup. Critics saw both moves as a means to “mute criticism of an autocratic regime”, to take attention away from its “appalling treatment of migrant workers”, “suppression of human rights”, and “imprisonment of whistleblower Abdullah Ibhais”.

Critics also cite the financial imbalance enjoyed by state-owned teams such as PSG, Manchester City and Newcastle, arguing that it undermines fair competition. They point to the influence of PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi, the chairman of both European Football Clubs (EFC) and broadcasting company beIN, on the administration of European club football. This, they say, is the “the deeper effect of state money”.

The questions and criticism have reduced with PSG’s success on the biggest stage — critics contend that this is precisely the point of ‘sportswashing’.

Enrique’s tenure at PSG — much like Guardiola’s at City, which was marked by incredible trophy success but marred by 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations — will be accompanied by a knotty question: Can legacy be separated from the context of the circumstances in which it is built?

Fans of Enrique will hope that the answer doesn’t define him entirely. The 56-year-old has enriched the game with his progressive ideas of play, extending the limits of modern tactical thinking. While mastering his craft, he has endured a great personal tragedy and borne the loss of his young daughter with resilience and grace. Some will also highlight the fact that other managers have enjoyed Enrique’s resources at PSG but failed to produce the results he has.

Target three-peat

For his part, Enrique isn’t overly concerned about his legacy, at least publicly. After the final, he said he was “not interested” in whether he was becoming a legend or not. His next target is the Champions League three-peat. “The first one was incredible, but more than anything we had that desire to get the second,” he told broadcaster M6. “I love this club so much, and it’s not over! We’ve got the second, we’ll keep working and go get the third.”

Record 15-time winner Real Madrid won the Champions League three times (2016-2018). Before that, the last teams to complete a hat-trick were Bayern Munich and Ajax in the 1970s. Real also won it five years running, back at the competition’s inception. “We can talk about the back-to-back-to-back,” said Enrique. “We can talk about these types of objectives, our club is worthy of it, as are our supporters. We do need new players to refresh certain positions, but we’ve been champions of Europe for two years… piano piano [slowly, slowly].”

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) walks on the field during the first half of an MLS soccer match against Philadelphia Union, Sunday, May 24, 2026, in Miami.
| Photo Credit: AP

President Joe Biden, right, presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor, to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the East Room of the White House, on January 4, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday (January 4, 2025) presented U.S.’ highest civilian award to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, controversial philanthropist George Soros, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, scientist Bill Nye, and actor Denzel Washington along with 14 others with the country’s highest civilian award — the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Due to scheduling conflict, Argentinian football star Lionel Messi could not be present in person at the White House to receive the award from the U.S. president.

“For the final time as President, I have the honour of bestowing the Medal of Freedom on our nation’s highest civilian honour on a group of extraordinary, truly extraordinary people who gave their sacred effort, their sacred effort, to shape the culture and the cause of America,” Mr. Biden said at a glittering function in the East Room of the White House.

Former president Bill Clinton, several of his Cabinet members including Defense Secretary Loyd Austin along with several celebrities were present in the East Room of the White House during the awards ceremony Saturday afternoon.

“This group of people leave an incredible mark on our country with insight and influence that can be felt around the globe in major cities and remote areas of life, finding us closer as people and showing us that what’s possible as a nation, nothing beyond our capacity,” Mr. Biden said.

“As cultural icons, … humanitarians, rock stars, sports stars, you feed the hungry, you give hope to those who are hurting, and you craft the signs and sounds of our movements and our memories. It’s amazing, your innovation, you inspire, you bring healing and joy to so many lives otherwise wouldn’t be touched. You answer the call to serve and lead others to do the same thing. You defend the values of America even when they’re under attack, which they have been,” Mr. Biden said after which he presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Fannie Lou Hamer, who transformed the struggle for racial justice in America, Ashton Carter, who served as the 25th Secretary of Defense, Robert Francis Kennedy remembered as an Attorney General who fiercely combatted racial segregation, and George W Romney, a businessman who served as the chairman and president of American Motors Corporation, were awarded posthumously. The medals were received by their family members.

Hillary Clinton was the only recipient to get a standing ovation.

“As a lawyer, she defended the rights of children. As First Lady, she fought for universal health care and declared women’s rights are human rights. As Senator, she helped New York rebuild after September 11, 2001. As Secretary of State, she championed democracy worldwide. Her nomination for president broke barriers and inspired generations. Through it all, her career has been dedicated to an eternal truth. America’s ideals are sacred, and we must always defend and live by them,” a military aide read the citation as she was presented the medal by the president.

Alex Soros accepted the award on behalf of his father George Soros, an investor, philanthropist, and founder of the Open Society Foundations.

“The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to George Soros. Born into a Jewish family in Hungary, George Soros escaped Nazi occupation to build a life of freedom for himself and countless others around the world. Educated in England, he settled in America as he became an investor and philanthropist supporting key pillars of open societies, rights and justice, equity and equality, freedom now and in the future,” said the citation as read by the military aid.

“As an immigrant who found freedom and prosperity in America, I am deeply moved by this honor,” George Soros in a statement. “I accept it on behalf of the many people around the world with whom the Open Society Foundations have made common cause over the past 40 years,” he said.

However, Mr. Biden was slammed by MAGA supporters and Republican leadership for giving the award to Soros. “Giving George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom is another slap in the face of America after reducing the sentences of murderers and pardoning his son. 16 days is a long time until the Inauguration. What is he capable of sliding in next? January 20th can’t come soon enough,” GOP leader Nikki Haley said.

“George Soros spent millions electing soft-on-crime politicians that let criminals wreak havoc in our major cities,” Montana Senator Tim Sheehy told The New York Post.

Alex who received the award on behalf of his father said his father is an American patriot who has spent his life fighting for freedom and human rights. “I am incredibly proud that his legacy is now recognized with our nation’s highest civilian honour. This award isn’t just about the work he’s done; as President Biden said, it is a call to action for all of us to fight for democracy on behalf of anyone yearning to be free,” he said.

US President Joe Biden has announced the names of 19 individuals who will receive the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The awardees include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, football superstar Lionel Messi, and former Defence Secretary late Ashton Carter.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other notable endeavors.

According to the White House, Biden believes that great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else and that these nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place.

Hillary Clinton, who made history as the first First Lady elected to the US Senate, will receive the award for her decades of public service. Clinton later became the first woman nominated for president by a major US political party.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros will also receive the award. Through his network of foundations, partners, and projects in over 120 countries, Soros has focused on global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice. However, Soros has been a vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his criticism has sparked controversy in the past.

Football superstar Lionel Messi, the most decorated player in professional soccer history, will receive the award for his outstanding contributions to the sport. Messi supports healthcare and education programs for children around the world through the Leo Messi Foundation and serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

The award ceremony will take place at the White House, where President Biden will present the medals to the awardees. Other notable recipients of the award include Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist; Robert Francis Kennedy, who served as Attorney General and US Senator; and Jose Andres, a renowned chef and culinary innovator.

The list of awardees also includes Bono, frontman of U2 and activist against AIDS and poverty; Michael J. Fox, actor and advocate for Parkinson’s disease research; Jane Goodall, ethologist and conservationist; and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, retired basketball player and entrepreneur.

William Sanford Nye, science educator and communicator, will receive the award for his work in inspiring and influencing generations of American students. David M Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group and philanthropist, will be recognised for his generous support for the restoration of historic landmarks and the country’s cultural institutions.

Other awardees include George Stevens, Jr, award-winning writer, director, and playwright; Denzel Washington, actor, director, and producer; and Anna Wintour, fashion icon and editor-in-chief of Vogue.
 

U.S. President Joe Biden has named former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, football superstar Lionel Messi, former Defence Secretary late Ashton Carter, and controversial investor George Soros, along with 14 others for the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the Nation’s highest civilian honour, would be presented to the awardees at a White House ceremony by Mr. Biden on Saturday (January 4, 2025) afternoon.

The prestigious award is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours, the White House said Saturday (January 4, 2025).

Mr. Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else. These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place.

They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world, the White House said.

Ms. Clinton made history many times over decades in public service, including as the first First Lady elected to the U.S. Senate. After serving as Secretary of State, she became the first woman nominated for President by a major U.S. political party, the White House said.

Mr. Soros is an investor, philanthropist, and founder of the Open Society Foundations.

“Through his network of foundations, partners and projects in more than 120 countries, Mr. Soros has focused on global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice,” the White House said.

Mr. Soros, 94, in the recent past has spoken openly against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ruling BJP believe that he tried to interfere in Indian elections.

In the last session of Parliament, the BJP raised the issue of alleged “links” of Congress leaders with Soros-backed outfits involved in “anti-India” activities, triggering vociferous protests from the opposition.

Congress, however, trashed these allegations. In 2020, Mr. Soros slammed the Modi government while addressing an event at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, saying nationalism was making headway and the “biggest setback” was seen in India.

“Lionel Messi is the most decorated player in the history of professional soccer. He supports healthcare and education programmes for children around the world through the Leo Messi Foundation and serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador,” the White House said.

Fannie Lou Hamer, who transformed the struggle for racial justice in America, and Ashton Carter, who served as the 25th Secretary of Defence and devoted his career to making the nation safer for all, are being awarded the Medal of Freedom posthumously.

Robert Francis Kennedy is remembered as an Attorney General who fiercely combatted racial segregation, and as a United States Senator who sought to address poverty and inequality in the country and George W Romney, a businessman who served as the chairman and president of American Motors Corporation, are also being awarded posthumously.

Jose Andres, renowned Spanish-American culinary innovator who popularised tapas in the United States; Bono the frontman for legendary rock band U2 and a pioneering activist against AIDS and poverty; Michael J. Fox, an actor who has won five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award; and Tim Gill, a visionary entrepreneur whose work has advanced LGBTQI rights and equality, are other recipients of the award.

Other awardees are Jane Goodall, a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist; Earvin “Magic” Johnson, a legendary retired basketball player who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships; and Ralph Lauren, a fashion designer who redefined the fashion industry with a lifestyle brand that embodies timeless elegance and American tradition.

William Sanford Nye inspired and influenced generations of American students as “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”

David M. Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group, where he built one of the most successful global investment firms is renowned for his philanthropy and generous support for the restoration of historic landmarks and the country’s cultural institutions.

George Stevens, Jr, an award-winning writer, director, author, and playwright; Denzel Washington, an actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award and Anna Wintour, a renowned fashion icon who has led Vogue as editor-in-chief since 1988, will also be presented with the Medal of Freedom.

Argentines taking to the streets to revel in their Copa América triumph inhabit a very different place now than they did 19 months ago, when their World Cup win sent millions surging into the same Buenos Aires square in a howl of collective celebration.

“Glorious,” Diego Cáceres, 38, recalled of Argentina’s massive open-air party on December 18, 2022.

“This is beautiful, too,” he said of Sunday’s crowds cheering and setting off fireworks around the capital’s landmark obelisk after Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in extra time to win its third straight major tournament Sunday night.

“But it’s a cherry-on-top, or a reminder. It makes me want to go back in time.”

Poverty stricken

Economic crisis has stalked Argentina for years. But today, annual inflation tops 270%. Almost 60% of the country’s 45 million people live in poverty.

Argentines have become worn out by the high-stakes anxiety of the news: Anti-government protests raging, labor strikes paralyzing cities, President Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” unveiling new spending cuts. This week their televisions flashed dire warnings about the peso hitting new lows against the dollar, dragging the value of their savings down with it.

The last time Cáceres celebrated his national team in this downtown square, he worked as a cook in various restaurants and rented an apartment. Today, he said, he’s unemployed and sleeps on the streets.

“Everything is horrible now,” he said after the game finally got underway in Miami after repeated delays due to fan congestion.

“Just when you think things can’t get more expensive, they do.”

Crisis after triumph

Some in this superstitious nation joke that they paid a steep price in Qatar for their first World Cup victory since 1986, pointing to the crises that followed the triumph.

“Has anyone checked the terms and conditions of winning the Copa América?” reads one post on X widely shared among Argentines. “I don’t know if I’m up for a second round of winning at any cost.”

But Argentines say that they needed this tournament, and this trophy, more than they could have imagined. For Argentina, South America’s biggest football championship offered not just glorious achievement but exquisite, if fleeting, escape.

“It’s our best entertainment, that’s what makes it so important,” said Erika Maya, a 47-year-old homeless mother of six, as she peered at the televised match through the glass of a locked restaurant door. “You can forget everything that’s going on, and just enjoy.”

Messi-inspired respite

For every new outrage over the last 24 days, Argentines have found the respite of obsessively watching their beloved national team, led by Lionel Messi, play for an hour and a half, generating moments of agony and excitement that reverberate all over this football-crazed country.

“Football is the fruit of our society, it’s what we’re proud of, it’s what we give to the world,” said 21-year-old soldier Fabrizo Diaz, who watched the match with his girlfriend.

As the game kicked off at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, restaurants in Buenos Aires shuttered, streets emptied and the sprawling city fell eerily silent, with most Argentines in thrall to their TVs at home as though under a COVID lockdown. The looming specter of Messi’s retirement has heightened football fever in recent weeks, with the 37-year-old captain’s noncommittal muses in televised interviews inducing, at turns, nationwide hope and despair.

“I believe Messi is going to continue. I don’t know if he’ll make it to the next World Cup, but this is not the end,” said 32-year-old Adrian Vallejos, watching the final with his wife and son. “I mean, God, I hope so.”

Messi’s persistent leg injuries — including a hurt ankle in the second-half of the final that forced him off the field — have drawn more attention than his performances during this Copa América. But Argentines breathed a sigh of relief when, asked by ESPN this week whether this match would be his last in blue-and-white, Messi refused to rule out playing in the 2026 World Cup.

“We’re at a very poignant transition for this team,” said Alejo Levoratti, a sports sociologist at Argentine research institute CONICET. “It’s only at the point of his retirement that Messi arrived at his best moment and found this connection with his team, this communion with Argentina.”

Another Argentine great of the same age, Ángel Di María, had announced Sunday’s match would be his last, fueling a broader sense of nostalgia about the national squad. He had tears in his eyes as he left the pitch to a standing ovation after Argentina’s breakthrough goal. “I dreamt of retiring like this,” he told reporters afterward.

Successful run

After years of disappointments in international tournaments, the Argentine team has, more recently, clinched triumph after triumph — 2021 Copa América, 2022 inaugural Finalissima match, 2022 World Cup — exhilarating its troubled country again and again.

President Milei, who had a short stint as a goalie for the professional football team Chacarita Juniors, congratulated the national team in an all-caps message on X: “WE ARE CHAMPIONS AGAIN…!!!”

In litter-strewn downtown Buenos Aires, the site of so many protests in recent weeks, national pride appeared, briefly, restored. Friends and strangers draped in Argentinean flags and jerseys hugged and jumped up and down, some singing “Muchachos,” the unofficial anthem of the 2022 World Cup, others chanting Messi’s name.

Colombia’s Jefferson Lerma, left, shoots as Uruguay’s Sebastian Caceres defends during a Copa America semifinal soccer match in Charlotte, N.C., on July 10, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Jefferson Lerma scored in the 39th minute, and Colombia played a man short the entire second half in a 1-0 win over Uruguay on Wednesday night to reach the Copa America final against Lionel Messi and Argentina.

Daniel Muñoz was ejected in first-half stoppage time for his second yellow card, but Colombia held on to reach the championship for the first time since winning its only Copa title as host in 2001. Colombia extended its unbeaten streak to a team record 28 games, one more than from 1992-94 and the longest current streak in men’s football.

In a contentious match that included seven yellow cards and one red, players from both teams pushed and shoved in a scrum on the field at the final whistle and some players went into the stands to scrap with fans.

Defending champion Argentina and Colombia meet Sunday night at Miami Gardens, Florida.

Before an overwhelmingly pro-Colombia crowd at Bank of America Stadium, filled with yellow jerseys and flags, Uruguay fell behind for the first time in the tournament.

James Rodríguez’s corner kick was headed in from short range by Lerma, who outjumped José María Giménez for his third international goal and second of the tournament. Rodríguez has six assists in the tournament — triple the total of any other player.

Muñoz received his first yellow card from Mexican referee César Ramos in the 31st minute for a reckless slide tackle on Maximiliano Araújo and his second for elbowing Manuel Ugarte in the stomach.

Rodríguez was given a yellow card in the 55th minute for arguing with Ramos when the referee failed to stop play when Richard Ríos was kicked on a shin by Darwin Núñez.

Ríos was removed on a stretcher, re-entered the match, then went down in another challenge and was substituted in the 62nd minute. Rodríguez was removed at the same time to keep him eligible for the final.

Colombia goalkeeper Federico Valverde didn’t have to make his first save until he stopped Nicolás de la Cruz in the 68th minute.

Luis Suárez, Uruguay’s career leader with 68 goals, entered in the 66th minute and hit the outside of a post with a shot in the 71st.

Colombia’s Mateus Uribe, another second-half sub, put an open shot wide in the 88th, and Uribe’s open shot in the fourth minute of stoppage time ricocheted off the body of sliding goalkeeper Sergio Rochet and then the crossbar.

The match was played in 90-degree heat on a surface that was converted from artificial turf to grass in the weeks leading up the game.

Argentina is seeking a record 16th Copa America title and is looking to join Spain as the only countries to win three straight major titles.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Canada during a Copa America semifinal match in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Defending champions Argentina booked their place in the Copa America final after goals from Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi gave them a 2-0 win over Canada in July 9th’s semi-final in New Jersey.

Argentina have won a joint-record 15 Copa titles and reached the final six times in the past eight editions but Canada caused them problems in the opening 20 minutes, with Jacob Shaffelburg twice shooting wide from promising positions.

After soaking up the early pressure Argentina went ahead when Rodrigo De Paul played through Alvarez, who ghosted in between two defenders to score with a tidy finish in the 22nd minute.

2022 World Cup winners Argentina gradually took control of the match and Messi had a chance to double their lead in the 44th minute as he created space in the box with silky footwork before lashing his effort wide.

Canada nearly snatched an equaliser against the run of play in first-half stoppage time as Jonathan David sneaked in ahead of his marker to get on the end of a long throw, but his close-range shot was hit straight at goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Messi then scored Argentina’s second in the 51st minute when he stuck out a boot to divert Enzo Fernandez’s shot from the edge of the area past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

The goal moved Messi to joint fifth in the all-time Copa America scoring charts, level with Peru’s Paolo Guerrero and Chile’s Eduardo Vargas on 14.

The 37-year-old’s 109th goal for Argentina also saw him surpass Iran’s Ali Daei on the all-time international scoring charts. Messi is second behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 130 goals for Portugal.

Despite their two-goal cushion, Argentina had a nervy finish to the match as Canada substitute Tani Oluwaseyi tested Martinez with a crisp shot in the 89th minute before directing a glancing header wide a minute later.

Argentina will take on either Uruguay or Colombia, who meet on July 10, in the final in Florida on July 14.

Lionel Messi is seen during a training session ahead of the Copa America semifinals against Canada.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Lionel Messi won’t be stopped by a leg injury and will play in Argentina’s Copa America semifinal against Canada on July 9 night.

Messi has been dealing with a right leg problem since the group stage win over Chile on June 25. He missed the first-round finale four days later but played the entire match in the quarterfinal victory over Ecuador last Thursday.

“Leo is good. He will be playing tomorrow,” Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni said Monday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

At 37, Messi has 13 Copa America goals and is four behind the record shared by Argentina’s Norberto Méndez and Brazil’s Zizinho but hasn’t scored in this year’s tournament.

“It’s an easy decision for me,” Scaloni said. “It’s a fairly honest decision: I ask him how he feels. If he says I’m not good,’ then he will play the last 30 minutes. When he’s available, he will play.” Seeking a record 16th Copa America title, Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in the June 20 tournament opener when Messi set up second-half goals by Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez.

“We didn’t do well enough with Messi last match. He was able to run free at our goalkeeper too much,” said Jesse Marsch, the American hired as Canada’s coach in May. “We all know he’s the greatest player to ever play the game.” Argentina outshot Canada 19-10, including 9-2 on target, and had 64% possession.

“It’s more of (an) advantage that we were able to play against them than it was for them to play against us,” Marsch said.

Both teams are coming off quarterfinal wins on penalty kicks. Canada, an invited guest from North America, defeated Venezuela.

In the other semifinal, Uruguay plays Colombia on Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina. The championship is Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida.

Argentina will have four days’ rest, one more than Canada, but both teams are coming off 90-minute matches. Tournament regulations call for extra time to be used only if needed in the final.

Argentina is seeking to win its third major title after the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup and to equal the feat of Spain, which won the European Championship in 2008 and ’12 along with the 2010 World Cup. The Albiceleste are tied with Uruguay for most Copa America titles with 15.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has won four straight shootouts, against Colombia in the 2021 Copa semifinals, vs. the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals and against France in the final, then vs. Ecuador last week.

Martinez, 6-foot-5, constantly shuffling his feet and a chatterbox trying to distract opponents, saved eight of 18 shots, stopping Colombia’s Davinson Sánchez, Yerry Mina and Edwin Cardona; the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis; France’s Kingsley Coman; and Ecuador’s Ángel Mena and Alan Minda.

Canada was eliminated in the group stage of its only World Cup appearances in 1986 and 2022. It won the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup after gaining the title of a predecessor tournament, the 1985 CONCACAF Championship.

“We’re playing against the best team in the world,” said Cyle Larin, Canada’s career leader with 29 goals. “We have a lot of speed and power, but I think over those days we’ve been together we’ve been growing.”

Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez celebrates after saving a penalty kick in a penalty shoot out during the Conmebol 2024 Copa America tournament quarterfinal football match against Ecuador in Texas, on July 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero, saving two penalties and Lionel Messi’s blushes as holders Argentina defeated Ecuador in a penalty shoot-out to book their place in the Copa America semifinals on July 4.

A Lisandro Martinez header had put world champions Argentina 1-0 up ten minutes before half-time but Kevin Rodriguez headed in a stoppage-time leveller for Ecuador, who had risen to the occasion in front of 69,456 fans at Houston’s NRG Stadium.

Messi missed the opening penalty, chipping against the bar, but thanks to heroics from Martinez, Argentina recovered to win the shoot-out 4-2 and progress into the semifinals where they will face the winner of Friday’s match between Venezuela and Canada.

Messi’s ‘panenka’ miss brought back memories of his miss in the shoot-out loss to Chile in the 2016 Copa final but luckily for him goalkeeper Martinez was in the mood to repeat his own past.

He pulled off superb diving saves to deny Angel Mena and Alan Minda and get his team in front before Nicolas Otamendi slotted home the decisive fourth kick.

Martinez had saved three spot-kicks in a 3–2 penalty shootout victory for Argentina over Colombia in the semi-final of the 2021 Copa America and famously saved two in the World Cup final win against France in Qatar.

Ecuador were left crestfallen after a match in which they had created enough opportunities to have won the game.

Felix Sanchez’s team made a bright start, dominating the ball in midfield and stretching the Argentine defence at times.

Moises Caicedo had an early opportunity, latching on to a header from Enner Valencia, but his shot was tame and easily dealt with by Argentine keeper Martinez.

Then Moises Caicedo threaded a clever pass through to the impressive Jeremy Sarmiento but Martinez was out quick to save with an outstretched foot and Kendry Paez blasted the loose ball over the bar.

Argentina gradually got a foothold in the game but it was not until the 28th minute that they had their first opening when Enzo Fernandez headed wide a Nahuel Molina cross from the right.

Seven minutes later, they had the lead however, Messi driving in a corner which Alexis Mac Allister met at the near post with a flick-on and Lisandro Martinez arrived with a powerful header that Ecuador keeper Alexander Dominguez was unable to keep out.

Fernandez soon had a chance to double the lead but fired a left-foot shot wide at the back post and Argentina went in at the break with a single goal lead.

Ecuador were given a lifeline in the 62nd minute when Rodrigo De Paul was ruled to have handled inside the box but Valencia’s penalty struck the outside of the post.

But in stoppage time, Ecuador stunned the 15-times Copa champions when Kevin Rodriguez glanced in a header from a John Yeboah cross.

There was a VAR review, looking at whether Jordy Caicedo had interfered in an offside position at the back post but the goal stood.

Moments later Jordy Caicedo had a great chance to win the game but he glanced a left-wing cross wide from a great, central position.

That meant the drama of a penalty shoot-out and the chance to upset the defending champions slipt away.