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Lionel Messi has finally claimed his first international title as Argentina defeated Brazil in the Copa America 2021 final.
At Rio de Janeiro's famous Maracana Stadium, 7,000 spectators watched on as Argentina claimed a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Brazil to clinch the South American title.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi was the center of attraction as he ended his career-long wait for senior international silverware.
Argentina also entered the game on a dire 28-year trophyless run, dating back to 1993, when they claimed a 2-1 victory over Mexico in this very tournament.
In an intensely contested game of football, Paris Saint-Germain attacker Angel Di Maria came through in the decisive moment for Argentina, scoring the only goal of the match with a well-timed chip over Ederson in the 22nd minute.
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Atletico Madrid full-back Renan Lodi fluffed his clearance from which Rodrigo De Paul played in a well-weighted pass into the path of Di Maria. The 33-year-old took a deft first touch before lobbing Manchester City shot-stopper Ederson.
Brazil threw in the kitchen sink in search of a way back into the game thereon but were rebuffed by a resilient Argentine defense.
At the full-time whistle, the Argentina players and coaching staff rushed to celebrate with Lionel Messi, who has now added the elusive international trophy to his trophy haul in his 10th major international tournament.
With the win, La Albiceleste have now drawn level with Uruguay as the most decorated nation at the Copa America tournament, boasting 15 title wins each. On that note, we look at five talking points from the game.
#5 Rodrigo De Paul stars for Argentina
Rodrigo De Paul has been a constant name in the summer transfer rumor mill after his superb performances in the Italian Serie A with Udinese.
The 27-year-old racked up nine goals and nine assists in 36 league games for Udinese. His sensational display at the center of the park has caught the eye of several top clubs across Europe, including Liverpool and Manchester United.
De Paul's call-up to the Argentine national team for the Copa America came as no surprise and he justified it with several dominating and assured performances.
Against Brazil, the Udinese man was evidently Argentina's best player on the pitch. He dictated the pace and tempo in midfield and showed superb energy levels with his relentless defensive runs.
He finished the game with four tackles and a team-high 11 ground duels won, while also providing the game-winning assist.
The 27-year-old has now proven he can perform at the highest level on the biggest stage and time will tell how his future unfolds in the summer window.
#4 Brazil falter in Copa America title defense
In a game riddled with fouls and extreme physical tackling, Brazil failed to hit their stride as they were largely disappointing against Argentina.
Brazil came into the tournament as the defending champions but paid the ultimate penalty for their underwhelming display as they failed to really threaten their Argentine counterparts.
With Neymar shouldering most of the side's attacking responsibilities, Brazil failed to create anything meaningful and finished with just two tame shots on target. They found the back of the net shortly after the half-time break, but Richarlison's strike was ruled out after he was adjudged offside.
#3 Angel Di Maria puts Brazil to the sword
Paris Saint-Germain star Di Maria provided the breakthrough moment for Argentina as he scored the match-winning goal to dash Brazilian hopes.
After a defensive error put him through on goal, the 33-year-old made no mistake with his finish, showing great calmness and composure to send the ball over Ederson and into the back of the net after just 22 minutes.
With Messi marked out by the Brazilian defenders, Di Maria was a bright spark for Argentina as he constantly troubled the opponents.
Alongside Rodrigo De Paul and Emiliano Martinez, Di Maria was a standout performer for La Albiceleste.
Speaking after the game, Angel Di Maria revealed his excitement at winning the title, while also thanking star man Lionel Messi.
"It's going to be unforgettable," Di Maria said after the game. "Messi told me thanks to me, I said thanks to him!
"He told me that it was my final, that it was the rematch for the finals that I couldn't play. It had to be today and today it was", Di Maria said as per Goal.
#2 Lionel Scaloni gets the job done for Argentina and proves doubters wrong
After several years of struggle for silverware, Argentina have finally returned to the limelight with Lionel Scaloni at the helm.
A young and inexperienced head coach, the 43-year-old was charged with taking Argentina back to their glory days when he was named national team coach in 2018.
There was a huge question mark over the 43-year-old's capabilities to lead a squad like Argentina's, who boast of quite a few world-class players. There were doubts over whether he would be able to help Argentina recover from their 2015 and 2016 Copa America final defeats.
But Lionel Scaloni has now proved doubters wrong as he successfully guided Argentina to their first senior trophy since their 1993 Copa America triumph.
#1 Lionel Messi ends international trophy drought
Barcelona star Lionel Messi has finally put his search for a first-ever senior title for Argentina to bed.
The 34-year-old made his first international appearance for Argentina in 2005 but had failed to taste success with the senior national team.
Messi is considered by many as arguably the greatest ever player to grace the game of football. And now with international success under his belt, the notion is becoming hard to argue against.
After four World Cups and six Copa America appearances, Messi finally clinched his highly sought after international trophy.
Messi can now add the Copa America title to his endless list of trophy hauls which includes four UEFA Champions League titles and 10 La Liga titles.
