“The referee favoured Argentina. He didn’t give us penalties” - Ex-Real Madrid superstar breaks silence on losing final vs Lionel Messi

Former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez has claimed that Lionel Messi's Argentina was favored by the referee during the 2024 Copa America final. La Albiceleste defeated Colombia 1-0 in extra time to lift a record 16th Copa America title.

Speaking recently on Los Amigos de Edu, James claimed that the referee failed to give his team penalties which in turn affected the outcome of the match. He said (via Bolavip):

“We had an excellent Copa America. Obviously we wanted the title, but we didn’t win the Copa America because of external things, I think…The referee favored Argentina. He didn’t give us penalties. For me a clear one."

Colombia were the surprise team of the 2024 Copa America hosted by the United States. Los Cafeteros topped a group consisting of Brazil, Costa Rica and Paraguay. They saw off Panama 5-0 in the quarter-final and defeated Uryuaguay 1-0 in the semi-final.

In the final, Colombia pushed Argentina to extra time before a Lautauro Martinez strike in the 122nd minute decided the tie. James, however, had a tournament to remember. The Colombian captain recorded a goal and six assists in six matches and was named MVP of the tournament.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, had a quiet tournament. The Argentine skipper managed just a goal and an assist in five outings. He notably picked up an ankle injury in the final and was substituted in the 66th minute.

How many major trophies have Lionel Messi won with Argentina?

Lionel Messi is arguably one of the greatest players in Argentina's football history. The 37-year-old is his nation's all-time goalscorer with 112 goals and 61 assists in 191 matches.

The Argentine icon had to wait a while before leading La Albiceleste to a silverware. He notably suffered heartbreaking final defeats such as the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals against Chile, losing both on penalties.

However, in 2021, La Pulga finally guided Argentina to the Copa America trophy, defeating Brazi 1-0 in the final. The following year, he led the side to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Finalissima. He added another Copa America to his honors in 2024.

Lionel Messi is expected to line up for Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they look to defend their world title. It's pertinent to note that he also won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2008 Olympic Games gold medal for Argentina.