Star Wars in the Maracana! The Brazilian star Neymar and the Argentine star Lionel Messi, friends since their years together at FC Barcelona, will meet in the final of the Copa America in Brazil on Saturday, July 10th, in Rio de Janeiro (00:00 GMT Sunday, November 11th). July) each other. This galactic confrontation between the two big favorites of the tournament, played exceptionally with the audience – limited to 10% of the enclosure’s capacity – is the opportunity for Neymar and Messi to finally win their first big title in the selection. crucial advantage to win the Ballon d’Or, whose race remains very open this year.
And it’s a shame if “Ney” and “Leo” have cultivated a sincere friendship since the Brazilian’s four seasons at Barça (2013-2017).
“I’ve always said it, (Messi) he’s the best player I’ve ever seen play. He’s a great friend, but we’re in the final, we’re rivals now and I want to win, I want to take this title because it would be my first, ”said“ Ney ”. Injured, he missed the 2019 Copa America won by Brazil.
“When you have a friend who will be your opponent, it is hard to forget the friendship in the end. But even if you are playing with your friends, you really want to beat them. The time will come on Saturday, ”added the Paris SG player.
For Messi (34), the tournament’s top goalscorer and passer with 4 goals and 5 assists, this final is one of the last chances to win a title with Argentina.
Repeated mistakes
Aside from sharing the same dressing room, the two friends have repeatedly failed in major international competitions.
This final is the opportunity for the six-time Argentine Ballon d’Or, after losing four finals (World-2014, Copa America 2007, 2015 and 2016), to break the curse and end the endless famine in his country since the Copa America did not win a trophy in 1993.
Often overtaken by injuries, Neymar (29) tries again and again to forget the affront of 2014 when Brazil suffered the greatest humiliation in its history (7: 1) in the semi-finals at home against the absence of its child prodigy on the Back touches.
Both still won an Olympic gold medal, in 2008 for the Argentine and in 2016 for the Brazilian, who also won the Confederations Cup in 2013.
At Barça, the two world football superstars formed one of the most prolific duos – trios at the time, with the arrival of Luis Suarez – in history by putting together goals and assists to give the Catalan club their fifth league champions in 2015, accompanied by two Spanish leagues Titles (2015, 2016) and three Copa del Rey (2015, 2016, 2017).
“When you talk about Messi and Neymar, you speak of excellence, of technical, mental and physical qualities, of great creativity. It’s a great challenge, a great spectacle, ”said Brazilian coach Tite.
Neymar will find his friend and mentor on a field for the first time since leaving FC Barcelona in 2017. He also assures us that he “only thinks about victory”.
“Today Argentina has one of the best players in history in Messi. I think it would be good for the film at the end of my career. It’s a final that everyone was hoping for and that I’ve always dreamed of playing… ”the Brazilian concludes.
