Lionel Messi has issued a resolute “lost my fear” message ahead of the Copa America final, addressing his recent injury struggles.
The Argentina superstar, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, is eager to secure continental success with his nation for a second time.
His fitness has been a concern, as a muscle injury sidelined him during a group stage match against Peru.
However, he scored his first goal of the tournament in the semi-final victory over Canada and now feels prepared for the decisive match against Colombia, where major silverware will be at stake.
Messi shared with Dsports about dealing with physical setbacks, “With Canada I felt very good physically. With Chile I had an adductor problem and I no longer played comfortably. I was already slowed down, it bothered me when I had to stand up or move laterally. And with Ecuador I arrived just in time too. I was fine from the injury, but I had that in my head that I had something wrong. In the last match [against Canada] I lost my fear, I felt better and for the final I will feel better.”
As the most-decorated player in history with 44 titles, Messi is driven to inspire the next generation in the pursuit of trophies.
He stated, “This is a very young generation, and they were champions of America, of the World… They are 23, 24 and 25 years old. They have a whole career with the national team ahead of them. I hope they don’t lose the desire to continue winning, competing and transmitting the same message to those who come after them. For me, the fundamental thing is to have a good group. From there, achievements can come.”
After Argentina’s Copa victory in 2021 and their triumph over European champions Italy in the Finalissima, Messi led his team to a historic World Cup win in Qatar 2022.
As the 37-year-old forward continues to perform at the international level, there remains curiosity about how many more appearances he will make for his country.
