Messi finally wins his first major international trophy
ARGENTINA 1
(Di Maria 22)
BRAZIL 0
It was the scraggy plaster taped over the gaping wound, the grand finale of a controversial tournament besieged by problems, that few had even wanted to play, but that had spat out the dream end tie. Right at the death, football had found the script.
After 28 long years without an international trophy, two Copa America final penalty shootout defeats to Chile in recent years and an agonising extra-time loss in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, Argentina are celebrating once again.
Against swashbuckling Brazil, kings of the continent over the past few years and firm tournament favourites from the start, Angel Di Maria’s first-half strike sealed a surprise 1-0 win to hand Argentina a joint-record 15th Copa America trophy.
In football’s oldest international tournament, between the game’s fiercest rivals, a bold
