Copa América: Messi and Álvarez fire Argentina past Canada and into final

Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates Angel Di Maria and Rodrigo De Paul after scoring in the semi-final against Canada

Lionel Messi’s first goal at this edition of Copa América, and his 14th in the tournament overall, sealed Argentina’s 2-0 semi-final victory over Canada in front of more than 80,000 fans at a hot and humid MetLife Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Argentina captain deflected an Enzo Fernández shot into the net from close range early in the second half to seal his team’s place in Sunday’s final. Messi’s goal added to a first-half Julián Álvarez strike against the run of play, which curtailed a spirited opening from Jesse Marsch’s side.