Copa America 2021 Golden Boot: Lionel Messi beats Neymar to win the top-scorer award

Argentina talisman Lionel Messi has beaten Neymar to win the 2021 Copa America Golden Boot award. Messi finished the tournament with four goals as Argentina won the final 1-0 against Brazil at the Maracana.

Lionel Messi wasn't at his fluent best in the final, but his teammates put on a defensive masterclass to keep Neymar and co. at bay and hand their captain a fully-deserved first-ever international title with the senior team.

Lionel Messi and Neymar went into the final with four and two goals in the 2021 Copa America respectively. Both failed to get on the scoresheet on the night but it was enough for Messi to finish as the top-scorer of the tournament.

Colombia's Luis Diaz scored four goals in the tournament as well, but Messi was named the Golden Boot winner courtesy of having more assists to his name. Peru's Gianluca Lapadula and Argentina's Lautaro Martinez scored three goals each.

Lionel Messi also provided the most assists in the tournament with five. He even broke the record for the most assists provided in a single edition of the Copa America.

#CopaAmérica 🏆¡LO LINDO DEL FÚTBOL! Emotivo abrazo entre Messi 🇦🇷 y Neymar 🇧🇷 ¡ÍDOLOS!🇦🇷 Argentina 🆚 Brasil 🇧🇷#VibraElContinente #VibraOContinente pic.twitter.com/ecknhlv2VI

— Copa América (@CopaAmerica) July 11, 2021

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Angel di Maria's first-half strike helps Lionel Messi and co. win Copa America

#CopaAmérica 🏆¡FINAL DEL PARTIDO! @Argentina venció 1-0 a Brasil con gol de Ángel Di MaríaFIM DO JOGO! Argentina venceu por 1-0 do @cbf_futebol com gol de Ángel Di María 🇦🇷 Argentina 🆚 Brasil 🇧🇷#VibraElContinente #VibraOContinente pic.twitter.com/v1VF5parZ8

— Copa América (@CopaAmerica) July 11, 2021

Angel di Maria's goal in the 22nd minute of the Copa America final was enough to settle the match.

Rodrigo De Paul's sumptuous through ball found Di Maria on the right flank, with the Paris Saint-Germain star dinking the ball over an on-rushing Ederson to open the scoring.

Brazil came close to equalizing multiple times in the match but Argentina's defense held strong as they emerged 1-0 winners to seal their first Copa America title since 1993.

While this was Lionel Messi's first-ever international trophy with Argentina, Neymar is yet to win one with Brazil. The 29-year-old wasn't part of the Brazil squad that won the previous edition of the Copa America in 2019.

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