Lionel Messi: De Paul Unveils Argentine Captain’s Inspiring Words Before Copa America Win vs Canada
- Argentina sealed a spot in consecutive Copa America finals with a relatively comfortable win against Canada
- The win meant Lionel Scaloni’s side had reached the final of the last four major tournaments they have competed in
- Rodrigo de Paul has disclosed what Captain, Lionel Messi, said to the team ahead of their victory against Canada
Argentina secured their spot in the Copa America final for the fourth time in the last five editions with a resounding victory over Canada.
La Albiceleste, having already defeated Jesse Marsch’s side in the group stage, replicated their performance in the knockout stage, with goals from Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messiensuringd the defending champions' progression to the final.
![Rodrigo de Paul and Lionel Messi during the Copa America clash against Canada. Rodrigo de Paul and Lionel Messi during the Copa America clash against Canada.](https://cdn.yen.com.gh/images/1120/f532499be3aa8674.jpeg?v=1)
Source: Getty Images
However, in the aftermath of the match, midfielder, Rodrigo de Paul, disclosed to the media the motivational speech Messi delivered, which inspired their commanding victory.
De Paul discloses Messi’s motivational speech
The Atletico Madrid midfielder, speaking during his post-game press conference as captured by Football Espana, stated that the Inter Miami star had stressed the importance of making the final of the showpiece Angel Di Maria’s final match with the national team.
"Leo always chooses his words carefully. Today, he highlighted something he knew would motivate us immensely. Leo told us that Fideo's [Angel di Maria] last game had to be in a final. Together, we could achieve that. And we did. Fideo will retire as he deserves, playing in one more final."
Messi also commented on De Paul's words, though he couldn't recall exactly what he said before the match, but he conveyed the general sentiment.
"To be honest, I don't remember... These are words that come from within us, that we feel. I can't recall precisely what I said. I do remember speaking about Fideo [di Maria], about savouring the moment, about striving for one more final, appreciating everything we've accomplished, understanding the difficulty in achieving what we have—a bit of all that," he told Mundo Deportivo.
Argentina aims to claim their 16th Copa America title by defeating either Colombia or Uruguay at Hard Rock Stadium on July 14th.
Morata suffers a freak accident
In another report, Yen.com.gh mentioned that Alvaro Morata suffered an accident during Spain’s clash against France.
The 31-year-old was accidentally 'tackled' by a stadium security official, causing the Atletico Madrid forward to hobble off after the incident.
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Source: Legit.ng