Lionel Messi: Argentina Star Beats Ali Daei, Becomes Second Highest International Goal Scorer
- Lionel Messi has overtaken Ali Daei to become the second-highest international goal scorer of all time
- The 37-year-old broke his Copa America drought as his second-half strike saw Argentina defeat Canada
- The Barcelona legend has now found the back of the net in his last eight major tournaments with Argentina
Lionel Messi has climbed to second place on the all-time international goal scorer list, following his performance against Canada in the Copa America.
The Inter Miami superstar also became the first player to score in six different Copa America tournaments.
Source: Getty Images
Argentina's 2-0 victory over Canada secured their place in the finals in Miami, where they will compete against the winner of the Colombia-Uruguay match.
Messi, who scored in the 50th minute, was named player of the match in front of over 80,000 fans at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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According to Bleacher Report, this goal moved the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner past Ali Daei on the international scoring leaderboard with 109 goals, leaving him just behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 130.
Earlier in the match, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner missed an opportunity to score from close range, sending the ball wide to the right.
Argentina's first goal came from Julian Alvarez, who capitalised on a precise setup from Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi makes more history
With the victory on Wednesday, Messi has now led his country to seven major international finals, which include five in the Copa America and two in the World Cup.
According to Sportbible, this achievement places him ahead of Brazilian legends Cafu and Roberto Carlos, who each made it to six finals.
What's next for Messi and Argentina?
Now, Messi has a chance to claim his second consecutive Copa America title with Argentina.
The legendary Barcelona forward and his teammates will now aim for the title on Sunday, facing the winner of the Uruguay-Colombia semi-final at Hard Rock Stadium, per Fox Sports.
As reported by Yahoo Sports, Messi has netted 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina, extending his impressive form with the reigning champions.
The 37-year-old continues to break records as the defending champions secure another chance at the title.
Drake's $300K gamble backfires with Argentina's win
Meanwhile, Yen.com.gh previously reported that Drake showed tremendous faith in Canada, betting on them to upset Messi's Argentina in the 2024 Copa America semi-final.
According to Goal, the 'Canadian wagered $300,000 on Jesse Marsch’s squad to reach the final.
However, the musician's notorious 'curse' persisted, as Canada failed to advance, falling to Argentina.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
