Within 3 years from 2021 to 2024, Argentina won 4 major titles, including a World Cup championship, 2 Copa America and a Finalissima title (European-South American Intercontinental Cup).
At the Copa America 2024, which just ended on the morning of July 15, the Argentine team won the championship with an undefeated record (winning 3 group stage matches, passing the quarter-finals by penalty shootout, winning the semi-finals and final), conceding only one goal in 6 matches.
The South American team’s defense is too solid, while the quality of the attack has been demonstrated at the 2022 World Cup (scoring a total of 15 goals after 7 matches, an average of 2.14 goals/match).
What will happen to Argentina when age weighs more and more heavily on Messi? (Photo: Getty).
With a comprehensive offense and defense, Argentina has defeated almost all the strongest opponents in Europe (France, Netherlands, Croatia, Italy), South America (Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Chile) and Central America (Mexico, Canada) in the past 3 years.
However, whether the team from the land of Tango can maintain the continuity of their dance in the coming time or not is a question that fans around the world are interested in?
Over the past 3 years, Argentina has been super strong thanks to Messi playing better than ever since he played for the national team. It is clear that the player who holds the record of 8 Golden Balls wants to contribute the best in the final stage of his career, aiming for a title for his country.
The obvious difference between Argentina and the rest of world football is Messi’s position. In addition, another character that contributes to the difference between the Argentine team and other teams is the position of attacking star Angel Di Maria.
Messi’s “angel” scored in 3 out of 4 cup matches of the Argentina team, related to the 4 titles that the Tango team has won in the last 3 years.
Di Maria (left) has left the Argentina national team (Photo: Getty).
That was the only goal in the 2021 Copa America final against Brazil (Argentina won 1-0), the goal to make it 2-0 in the Finalissima match against Italy in 2022 (Argentina won 3-0). Then there was the goal to make it 2-0 in the 2022 World Cup final against France (draw 3-3, Argentina won on penalties).
After the Copa America 2024 final yesterday morning, Di Maria announced his retirement from the national team due to his age (36 years old). Without Di Maria, the whole world witnessed how Messi and the Argentine team missed out on the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America (in both tournaments, Di Maria was injured midway through).
Messi himself has also left open the possibility of retiring from the Argentina national team. Messi is 37 years old this year. With each passing year, this genius’s steps on the field become heavier and slower.
No one can resist the law of time. No matter how talented Messi is, he is no exception. In the Copa America final on the morning of July 15, people saw this genius forced to leave the field after running out of rhythm, causing him to twist his ankle and injure himself.
Without Messi on the field, Argentina could still beat Colombia, but they no longer dominated their opponents, and the confident demeanor of an invincible team was also gone. That is probably something that will appear more and more in the coming years from the Tango team.
Once Messi’s form declines due to age, and Di Maria no longer wears the blue and white striped shirt of La Albiceleste, the reigning world champions and the reigning South American champions will find it difficult to find the image of themselves in the past 3 years.
