Lionel Messi and Megan Rapinoe at the Best FIFA Football Awards 2019.
#3 Copa America nightmare
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Messi wasn't able to lead Argentina to Copa America glory in 2019.
It was a familiar problem for Lionel Messi as he travelled to Brazil to represent Argentina at the Copa America this year. The mercurial playmaker couldn't find his rhythm during the course of the competition and was a mere shadow of himself all through.
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Messi couldn't inspire his team to success. He struggled to impress with his performances. While Argentina made it into the semi-finals, there were no concrete contributions from the Messi. A solitary goal from the spot against Paraguay in the group stage and an assist across the whole tournament was a poor return by his standards.
The attacker was sent off in his last game - the third place decider against Chile - to conclude another embarrassing outing on the international stage. Messi's failure with Argentina could deprive him once again. It shouldn't be forgotten that Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Portugal to the UEFA Nations League triumph recently - edging out Netherlands' Virgil Van Dijk in the final. In a Ballon d'Or contest of fine margins this year, these details could make the difference.
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About the author
Jidonu Mauyon
Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.
Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.
In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.
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