When Lionel Messi, already a regular starter for the mighty Barcelona, made his international bow in 2005 as an 18-year-old for a powerful Argentina side he surely never imagined it would take him 16 years to finally claim a trophy with his country. But the six time Ballon d’Or winner had to suffer numerous disappointments, […]
COPA
Rio to allow fans for Brazil-Argentina final of Copa America
Rio de Janeiro, one of the Brazilian cities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, on Friday gave the go-ahead for thousands of fans to attend Saturday’s Copa America final against Argentina at the Maracana stadium. The city has decided to allow a crowd of up to 7,800 people, 10 percent of the stadium’s full capacity […]
Messi at the double as Argentina trounce Bolivia in Copa America
Lionel Messi celebrated his record 148th international cap with two goals as Argentina trounced Bolivia 4-1 to clinch top spot in Copa America Group A on Monday. Messi — who had equalled Javier Mascherano’s Argentinian caps record of 147 last week — marked his 148th appearance in style, setting up the opening goal before bagging […]
Argentina, Chile through to Copa America quarter-final
Argentina and Chile on Monday booked their places in the Copa America quarter-finals, ending top of Group A after low-scoring matches that left the other two spots up for grabs. Argentina logged its second win in three group matches played, beating Paraguay 1-0, with Alejandro “Papu” Gomez scoring the sole goal of a lacklustre match […]
Brazil Supreme Court to decide fate of Copa America
Brazil’s Supreme Court opened an extraordinary session Thursday to decide whether the Copa America can go ahead in three days, the latest threat to a tournament beset by the chaotic fallout of the pandemic. The high court’s 11 justices have until 11:59 pm to cast their votes remotely in three cases brought by opposition parties […]
Brazil football chief suspended after sex harassment claim
Brazil’s top football official, Rogerio Caboclo, has been suspended for 30 days after being accused of sexual harassment, his federation announced Sunday — one week before the start of the Copa America, which the country is hosting at the last minute due to the pandemic. The Brazilian football federation “received this Sunday afternoon the decision […]