Argentine Lionel Messi continues to break records during his illustrious football career, achieving a new milestone in the Copa America tournament. Messi was part of the starting lineup for the Argentina national team during their match against Colombia in the final of the continental competition, held in the United States. This marked Messi's fifth Copa America final, making him the record holder for the most finals played by any player in the history of this international tournament, which is the oldest at the national team level worldwide. He previously shared this record with his retired compatriot Javier Mascherano, who played in four finals.
Messi participated in the finals of the 2007, 2015, 2016, 2021, and 2024 editions of the tournament. This is the third record Messi has achieved in the current Copa America edition, as he became the player with the most matches played in the history of the tournament, totaling 39 matches. Additionally, he has become the second player to score in six different editions of the tournament. Messi scored a goal during Argentina's 2-0 victory over Canada in the semifinals, thus matching the feat of the late Brazilian player Zizinho, who managed to score in six editions of the tournament.
