Messi led his national team to the semifinals of the Copa America by scoring a free-kick goal and assisting two others, allowing Argentina to win 3-0 against Ecuador on Saturday, setting up a meeting with Colombia in the semifinals. Messi missed a golden opportunity in the first half but assisted the first goal scored by Rodrigo De Paul five minutes before halftime. He then did the same for Lautaro Martinez with five minutes remaining. After that, the Barcelona captain scored for the second time in the tournament from a free kick in stoppage time, confirming Argentina's victory despite a modest performance.
With this goal, Messi recorded his 76th for Argentina, just one goal away from Pele's record in South America. The Argentine football legend stated, "I have always said that individual awards are secondary; we are here for something else. We have a goal, and we are completely focused on it." He added, "It was a tough match, and we knew how difficult this opponent was. The most important thing is that we took another step forward."
Argentina had not lost in 17 matches prior to Saturday's game, and they were expected to confirm their victory earlier. With this result, Argentina will face Colombia, who defeated Uruguay in a penalty shootout earlier on Saturday, in the semifinals on Tuesday. Brazil, the host, will play against Peru in the first semifinal on Monday.
