Lionel Messi and Argentina are in another final.
Sunday’s Copa America final in Miami against Colombia will be the fourth straight final Messi and Argentina have played in; a remarkable run of form beginning in 2021 when Argentina won the Copa America for the first time in 28 years.
Argentina dispatched European champions Italy in the inaugural Finalissima in London 12 months later, then claimed the World Cup title in Qatar, cementing Messi’s status as the sport’s greatest player. And now the South Americans will attempt to win back-to-back Copa America titles for the first time since 1993.
Sunday could become another defining moment for the Albiceleste on the international stage.
From the young stars of the future to the greatest of all time, here’s your guide to the players and manager hoping to etch their names in stone as the best Argentina national team of all time….
The manager who played with Messi
Scaloni with the Copa America trophy in December (Gustavo Pagano/Getty Images)
Lionel Scaloni’s history as head coach has been filled with highs and lows.
The 46-year-old was named interim manager in 2018 following Argentina’s disappointing World Cup in Russia, when they were knocked out by France in the round of 16. Scaloni was part of the Argentina Football Association’s (AFA) youth setup. To jump straight to the senior national team without any experience at that level made him a target for criticism.
Scaloni led Argentina to a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa America, but still his seat got hotter. Pundits and detractors called for a more experienced manager. The position was too big for him, they said.
AFA, though, stuck with Scaloni. Behind closed doors, he was forging a strong bond with Messi and the rest of the team. It helped that Scaloni had played with Messi at international level, sharing a dressing room with the young prodigy at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Messi, back left, and Scaloni, third from left, back row, were teammates at the World Cup in Germany in 2006 (Daniel Garcia/AFP via Getty Images)
When the 2021 Copa America (rescheduled from 2020 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic) began, Argentina were on a mission to silence their critics. They won the tournament and Scaloni became an instant hero.
The World Cup win in 2022 gave Scaloni legend status, but it nearly broke him as well. His longevity as Argentina’s head coach still feels uncertain. Sunday could be the deciding factor.
The ultimate showman in goal
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could have a career in the World Wrestling Entertainment business if he weren’t in football.
His massive frame (he’s 6ft 5ins) intimidates opponents. His trash talk is elite. Martinez taunts opposing players and dances after making saves. When big matches come around for Argentina, he spray paints the colors of the Argentina flag in his hair like a 1980s heavy metal rock star. He’s a showman with a gigantic personality.
Martinez switched up his hair for the semifinal against Canada (Ira L. Black/Corbis/Getty Images)
“El Dibu,” as he’s known, is Argentina’s savior and one of the game’s villains. His last-ditch leg save in the 2022 World Cup final against France took the game to a shootout in which Martinez saved a penalty and trolled his way to another memorable performance. Of the 24 penalties Martinez has faced as Argentina’s starting goalkeeper, he’s saved nine. Nine.
Martinez came to Argentina’s rescue at this Copa America. In the quarterfinal against Ecuador, Argentina were second best. Ecuador equalized in second-half added time and the game went straight to penalties. After Messi missed Argentina’s first penalty, a Panenka that clipped the cross bar, the Martinez show began. The Aston Villa No 1 saved two penalties and helped push Argentina into the finals.
Martinez celebrates saving a penalty against Ecuador in his unique way (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Coincidentally, Martinez’s antagonistic traits first took center stage against Colombia in the semifinals of the 2021 Copa America. The match went to a shootout and Martinez saved three penalties.
Argentina’s next generation
The star man of Argentina’s future is Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez. The 24-year-old has scored twice at this Copa America and been a constant menace for opposing back lines. Alvarez is a pressing machine who generally takes his chances well.
Alvarez opened Argentina’s goal-scoring account at this Copa America (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
On the wing, Argentina will eventually replace Angel Di Maria with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho. The 19-year-old has the profile of a star in the making. He’s a relentless and brave dribbler who may idolize Cristiano Ronaldo, but whose allegiance to the blue and white stripes has endeared him to the public in Argentina. Garnacho has played just 66 minutes in this Copa America, but his role will increase with time.
There’s also Valentin Carboni, 19, another teenager who has impressed of late. Carboni is a lanky, left-footed forward with a clean touch, and more importantly, the blessing of Messi.
“Valentin Carboni has a great future,” Messi said. “He is the present and future. We must take advantage of him. I had already seen him at the Under-20 (level) but he grew a lot — he is a different player, much more trained with tremendous quality.”
Carboni, left, and Garnacho are two players tipped for big things (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
The leaders of Argentina’s next era are more experienced than the aforementioned players.
Inter Milan Center forward Lautaro Martinez, 26, is leading this Copa America with four goals. But the midfield will continue to be the team’s strength in the future, led by the tireless and theatrical Rodrigo De Paul, 30, Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister, 25, and Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 23. Behind them are another group of players competing for playing time. It’s a deep group with plenty of quality.
The G.O.A.T.
Messi is still on top of the world. The Inter Milan superstar has never been happier with his national team, marking quite a turnaround in fortunes. Failure with Argentina had become synonymous with Messi until 2021: he had lost four finals before he finally lifted the Copa America in 2021.
Messi lifts the World Cup for Argentina in Qatar (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Messi briefly retired in 2016 after Argentina lost their second consecutive Copa America final to Chile, saying: “It’s just not going to happen for me.” Fans once desecrated a statue of Messi in Buenos Aires. Now, however, he is beloved and idolized.
Messi hasn’t been exceptional at this Copa America. He has just one goal, and it wasn’t pretty. He has battled a muscle injury that has limited him throughout the knockout stage. Even when he’s not dominating games, his chance creation and presence make Argentina difficult to defend against.
Father Time comes for everyone and even the great Messi is not immune to the effects of old age. Now 37, Messi is in his final stages with Argentina; smiling again and basking in the limelight.
Sunday’s Copa America final could be his last championship match with Argentina. He’ll be 39 when the 2026 World Cup comes to North America. Will he still have something to play for in two years’ time?
Angel Di Maria, 36, has announced he will retire from international football after Sunday’s final, while defender Nicolas Otamendi, 36, backup goalkeeper Franco Armani, who is 37, and Messi are the faces of a generation that will soon be part of the national team’s past. “These are our last battles,” Messi said after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Canada in the semifinal.
The hope, however, is that Messi, Di Maria and Co can produce one last magical moment in Miami.
(Top photo: Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images)