Argentina’s national team is scheduled to play a pair of international friendly matches against El Salvador and Costa Rica in the United States later this month. According to an announcement made by the Argentina Football Association, the team’s captain and Inter Miami star forward Lionel Messi won’t be part of the roster for these two games as he’s dealing with a “minor hamstring injury”.

Messi experienced hamstring issues last week during the CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against Nashville last week, being forced to leave the game early in the second half. He subsequently missed Inter’s 1-3 win over D.C. United over the weekend.

It is unclear how much time Messi could miss due to the hamstring injury. Speaking with the media after D.C. United game, Miami’s head coach Tata Martino said that his star player will be evaluated “week by week”.

Martino did share that Messi’s goal is to play in CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals. Inter Miami is set to face Monterrey, with the first leg of the matchup being scheduled for April 3rd.

Despite not being able to play, Messi could still join Argentina’s national team at some point this week. According to ESPN, Messi’s plan is to rehabilitate with Argentina’s medical staff before continuing the recovery process in Miami. 

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Lionel Messi has confirmed that he will not be retiring from the Argentinian national squad after lifting the World Cup 2022 trophy on Sunday after a thrilling penalty shootout win against France.

Messi revealed that it has been his “childhood dream” to win the World Cup, thereby emulating Diego Maradona as he won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986. While he has achieved his ultimate goal, Messi admitted that he is still not ready to hang up his boots.

“I won the Copa America and the World Cup in a short time,” the Argentina captain stated. “I love what I do, being in the national team, and I want to continue living a few more games being world champion. I am going to take the Cup to Argentina to enjoy it with you.”

The final marked Messi’s 26th appearance in the World Cup; a new record for all-time appearances at the tournament. In addition, Messi is now Argentina’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, having taken his tally to 13 thanks to his two goals in the final.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni expressed his support for Messi’s decision, explaining that the Argentina captain is welcome to continue playing for the national team going forward.

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Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties following a tense 3-3 draw to lift the 2022 World Cup trophy at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Sunday night. This marks the South American nation’s first World Cup triumph since 1986 and their third win in total.

“I cannot believe that we have suffered so much in a perfect game. Unbelievable, but this team responds to everything,” Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni remarked on his team’s performance. “I am proud of the work they did. It is an exciting group. With the blows we received today, with the draws, this makes you emotional. I want to tell people to enjoy, it’s a historic moment for our country.”

While Argentina raced to a 2-0 lead in the first half courtesy of a Lionel Messi penalty and an Angel Di Maria strike, the reigning champions clawed their way back as Kylian Mbappe scored twice during the final 10 minutes of regular time. Argentina looked to have grabbed the winner when Messi doubled his goal tally in the 108th minute, however, Mbappe converted a second penalty for France with just two minutes to play of extra time, thereby sending the game to a penalty shootout.

By lifting the World Cup trophy, captain Lionel Messi has finally won the trophy that had eluded him throughout his career.

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Argentina has secured a spot in the World Cup semifinals after winning 4-3 in a penalty shootout with the Netherlands. This comes after the teams were tied at 2-2 following 120 minutes of play.

Lionel Messi provided a through ball to defender Nahuel Molina to hand Argentina the lead going into halftime. The Argentinians received an opportunity to extend their lead when Acuna was brought down on the edge of the box, with Messi successfully converting the penalty that followed.

The Dutch reduced the deficit in the 83rd minute when substitute Wout Weghorst headed the ball into the net less than five minutes after coming on. With 10 minutes of stoppage time added at the end of the match, the Netherlands drew level in the most dramatic of fashions, as Teun Koopmeiners took a free kick, deciding to pass the ball to Weghorst who scored his second and took the game into extra time.

Although the Argentinians fired a barrage of shots at the Dutch goal throughout extra time, it took a penalty shootout for Argentina to book its spot in the semifinals, where they will face Croatia, who similarly defeated Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

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Group C favorites Argentina were defeated 2-1 by underdogs Saudi Arabia in what was both teams’ opening game in the 2022 World Cup. In addition to Argentina being one of the tournament favorites, many pundits also expect team talisman Lionel Messi to take Argentina the distance in what is expected to be his final World Cup.

During the first half, the game appeared to be going to script as the South American giants dominated the Saudis throughout the opening proceedings. Argentina opened the scoring in the 10th minute of the game as Lionel Messi slotted away a penalty. Messi appeared to have doubled Argentina’s lead in the 22nd minute, only to be ruled offside.

Seven minutes later, it was Lautaro Martinez who appeared to get his name on the scoresheet, only for VAR to rule him offside as well as he appeared to make his run a little too early.

In the 34th minute, the Argentinians had a goal ruled offside for a third time, meaning that they had officially become the team with the most offside in the first half of a game in World Cup history.

While the Saudis appeared to be shaken up going into the half-time break, they shocked the entire Lusail Stadium by emerging as frontrunners in the second half. Saleh Alshehri grabbed a surprise goal just three minutes after kick-off, while Salem Aldawsari fired home a long-range stunner to grab an unlikely lead for the Gulf Arab state.

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Copa America champions Argentina thumped Euro 2020 winners Italy 3-0 in a match dubbed the “Finalissima” on Wednesday night. This game is a revival of the Cup of Champions; a match between the winners of the European and South American continental football competitions.

The match marked the return of the Italian national team to Wembley Stadium in London, where they defeated England on penalties to lift the Euro 2020 trophy. The stadium was packed with 87,000 fans, a significant number of whom made the trip from Buenos Aires to support the reigning South American champions.

Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria handed the Argentinians the advantage in the first half, while Paulo Dybala wrapped up the scoring with a 94th-minute goal at the death.

“It was a beautiful final, full of Argentinians. What we’ve experienced here was beautiful. We knew it was going to be an attractive game and a nice setting to be champion,” Lionel Messi stated following his team’s resounding victory.

What was a moment of pride for Argentina turned out to be an anticlimactic finale for veteran Azzurri defender Giorgio Chiellini, who was subbed off at halftime in what was his final match for the Italian national team.

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The 2020 EURO champions and 2021 Copa America winners, Italy and Argentina, respectively, will face off in a competitive match in 2022 as part of efforts from Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA and South America’s CONMEBOL to expand their cooperation.

The UEFA announced the match, reportedly referred to as “Finalissima”, on Tuesday and revealed that the event is set to take place in June next year. Further details, including the venue and exact date, remain unknown.

Italy won the 2020 EURO on penalties against England, claiming their second European Championship. Argentina, on the other hand, won their 15th Copa America title by beating their biggest rivals Brazil 1-0 in the finals. This was also the first major trophy for superstar Lionel Messi in Argentina’s jersey.

The initial agreement between the UEFA and CONMEBOL laid plans for three editions of Finalissima. According to the current schedule of European and South American continental soccer competitions, Finalissima would be played each four years.

“By reaching this agreement, UEFA and CONMEBOL express their commitment to the development of football beyond their geographical zones, as a bridge uniting people, countries, continents, and cultures,” said UEFA in a statement.

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After firing Jorge Sampaoli in July, Argentina national soccer team is looking for a new coach. According to the latest reports by Argentinian media, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) could turn to a familiar face and has Atlanta United’s head coach Gerardo Tata Martino as their number one candidate.

Still, Martino, who coached Argentina from 2014 to 2016, denies that AFA contacted him to fill the vacant coaching position.

“I have not spoken to anyone from Argentina, and additionally, I am currently working and under contract with Atlanta and that would have to be resolved first,” – the 55-year-old told Radio Caracol.”I am not interested in making clarifications about the situation via the media, but no one [from AFA] has said anything to me yet.“

Following a great job he has been doing with Atlanta United, Gerardo Tata Martino emerged as a candidate to take over several other national teams besides Argentina including Colombia. While Martino doesn’t deny that he likes the interest, he said that he wouldn’t decide on his future until the current MLS season is over.

“It pleases me to know that I would be held under consideration, but right now I am under contract with Atlanta, and once the MLS season is over, we will see what the future holds.” – he said.

Tata Martino started his coaching career by managing several clubs in Argentina and Paraguay, while also successfully coaching Paraguay national team from 2007 to 2011. He gained an unexpected opportunity to take over La Liga giants Barcelona in 2013 but decided to leave the club just a year later after failing to win a single major trophy. After a stint with Argentina, which ended after two years, Martino took over Atlanta United for the club’s inaugural season in MLS.

In his first season with the team, Tata Martino managed to take Atlanta to the 2017 MLS playoffs, finishing third in the Eastern Conference. In this season, Atlanta is playing even better with a strong chance to secure the top seed in the upcoming six games.

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Argentina’s national team is scheduled to play a pair of international friendly matches against El Salvador and Costa Rica in the United States later this month. According to an announcement made by the Argentina Football Association, the team’s captain and Inter Miami star forward Lionel Messi won’t be part of the roster for these two games as he’s dealing with a “minor hamstring injury”.

Messi experienced hamstring issues last week during the CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against Nashville last week, being forced to leave the game early in the second half. He subsequently missed Inter’s 1-3 win over D.C. United over the weekend.

It is unclear how much time Messi could miss due to the hamstring injury. Speaking with the media after D.C. United game, Miami’s head coach Tata Martino said that his star player will be evaluated “week by week”.

Martino did share that Messi’s goal is to play in CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals. Inter Miami is set to face Monterrey, with the first leg of the matchup being scheduled for April 3rd.

Despite not being able to play, Messi could still join Argentina’s national team at some point this week. According to ESPN, Messi’s plan is to rehabilitate with Argentina’s medical staff before continuing the recovery process in Miami. 

The post Lionel Messi Set to Miss Argentina’s Upcoming Friendly Matches in the U.S. appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Lionel Messi has confirmed that he will not be retiring from the Argentinian national squad after lifting the World Cup 2022 trophy on Sunday after a thrilling penalty shootout win against France.

Messi revealed that it has been his “childhood dream” to win the World Cup, thereby emulating Diego Maradona as he won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986. While he has achieved his ultimate goal, Messi admitted that he is still not ready to hang up his boots.

“I won the Copa America and the World Cup in a short time,” the Argentina captain stated. “I love what I do, being in the national team, and I want to continue living a few more games being world champion. I am going to take the Cup to Argentina to enjoy it with you.”

The final marked Messi’s 26th appearance in the World Cup; a new record for all-time appearances at the tournament. In addition, Messi is now Argentina’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, having taken his tally to 13 thanks to his two goals in the final.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni expressed his support for Messi’s decision, explaining that the Argentina captain is welcome to continue playing for the national team going forward.

The post Messi Decides Against Retiring From Argentina Following World Cup Win appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties following a tense 3-3 draw to lift the 2022 World Cup trophy at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Sunday night. This marks the South American nation’s first World Cup triumph since 1986 and their third win in total.

“I cannot believe that we have suffered so much in a perfect game. Unbelievable, but this team responds to everything,” Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni remarked on his team’s performance. “I am proud of the work they did. It is an exciting group. With the blows we received today, with the draws, this makes you emotional. I want to tell people to enjoy, it’s a historic moment for our country.”

While Argentina raced to a 2-0 lead in the first half courtesy of a Lionel Messi penalty and an Angel Di Maria strike, the reigning champions clawed their way back as Kylian Mbappe scored twice during the final 10 minutes of regular time. Argentina looked to have grabbed the winner when Messi doubled his goal tally in the 108th minute, however, Mbappe converted a second penalty for France with just two minutes to play of extra time, thereby sending the game to a penalty shootout.

By lifting the World Cup trophy, captain Lionel Messi has finally won the trophy that had eluded him throughout his career.

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Argentina has secured a spot in the World Cup semifinals after winning 4-3 in a penalty shootout with the Netherlands. This comes after the teams were tied at 2-2 following 120 minutes of play.

Lionel Messi provided a through ball to defender Nahuel Molina to hand Argentina the lead going into halftime. The Argentinians received an opportunity to extend their lead when Acuna was brought down on the edge of the box, with Messi successfully converting the penalty that followed.

The Dutch reduced the deficit in the 83rd minute when substitute Wout Weghorst headed the ball into the net less than five minutes after coming on. With 10 minutes of stoppage time added at the end of the match, the Netherlands drew level in the most dramatic of fashions, as Teun Koopmeiners took a free kick, deciding to pass the ball to Weghorst who scored his second and took the game into extra time.

Although the Argentinians fired a barrage of shots at the Dutch goal throughout extra time, it took a penalty shootout for Argentina to book its spot in the semifinals, where they will face Croatia, who similarly defeated Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The post Argentina Sets Up Semifinal Clash With Croatia appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Group C favorites Argentina were defeated 2-1 by underdogs Saudi Arabia in what was both teams’ opening game in the 2022 World Cup. In addition to Argentina being one of the tournament favorites, many pundits also expect team talisman Lionel Messi to take Argentina the distance in what is expected to be his final World Cup.

During the first half, the game appeared to be going to script as the South American giants dominated the Saudis throughout the opening proceedings. Argentina opened the scoring in the 10th minute of the game as Lionel Messi slotted away a penalty. Messi appeared to have doubled Argentina’s lead in the 22nd minute, only to be ruled offside.

Seven minutes later, it was Lautaro Martinez who appeared to get his name on the scoresheet, only for VAR to rule him offside as well as he appeared to make his run a little too early.

In the 34th minute, the Argentinians had a goal ruled offside for a third time, meaning that they had officially become the team with the most offside in the first half of a game in World Cup history.

While the Saudis appeared to be shaken up going into the half-time break, they shocked the entire Lusail Stadium by emerging as frontrunners in the second half. Saleh Alshehri grabbed a surprise goal just three minutes after kick-off, while Salem Aldawsari fired home a long-range stunner to grab an unlikely lead for the Gulf Arab state.

The post Saudi Arabia Stun Argentina in World Cup Thriller appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Copa America champions Argentina thumped Euro 2020 winners Italy 3-0 in a match dubbed the “Finalissima” on Wednesday night. This game is a revival of the Cup of Champions; a match between the winners of the European and South American continental football competitions.

The match marked the return of the Italian national team to Wembley Stadium in London, where they defeated England on penalties to lift the Euro 2020 trophy. The stadium was packed with 87,000 fans, a significant number of whom made the trip from Buenos Aires to support the reigning South American champions.

Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria handed the Argentinians the advantage in the first half, while Paulo Dybala wrapped up the scoring with a 94th-minute goal at the death.

“It was a beautiful final, full of Argentinians. What we’ve experienced here was beautiful. We knew it was going to be an attractive game and a nice setting to be champion,” Lionel Messi stated following his team’s resounding victory.

What was a moment of pride for Argentina turned out to be an anticlimactic finale for veteran Azzurri defender Giorgio Chiellini, who was subbed off at halftime in what was his final match for the Italian national team.

The post Argentina Defeat Italy to Lift “Finalissima” Trophy appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The 2020 EURO champions and 2021 Copa America winners, Italy and Argentina, respectively, will face off in a competitive match in 2022 as part of efforts from Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA and South America’s CONMEBOL to expand their cooperation.

The UEFA announced the match, reportedly referred to as “Finalissima”, on Tuesday and revealed that the event is set to take place in June next year. Further details, including the venue and exact date, remain unknown.

Italy won the 2020 EURO on penalties against England, claiming their second European Championship. Argentina, on the other hand, won their 15th Copa America title by beating their biggest rivals Brazil 1-0 in the finals. This was also the first major trophy for superstar Lionel Messi in Argentina’s jersey.

The initial agreement between the UEFA and CONMEBOL laid plans for three editions of Finalissima. According to the current schedule of European and South American continental soccer competitions, Finalissima would be played each four years.

“By reaching this agreement, UEFA and CONMEBOL express their commitment to the development of football beyond their geographical zones, as a bridge uniting people, countries, continents, and cultures,” said UEFA in a statement.

The post Italy and Argentina to Face in “Finalissima” in 2022 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After firing Jorge Sampaoli in July, Argentina national soccer team is looking for a new coach. According to the latest reports by Argentinian media, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) could turn to a familiar face and has Atlanta United’s head coach Gerardo Tata Martino as their number one candidate.

Still, Martino, who coached Argentina from 2014 to 2016, denies that AFA contacted him to fill the vacant coaching position.

“I have not spoken to anyone from Argentina, and additionally, I am currently working and under contract with Atlanta and that would have to be resolved first,” – the 55-year-old told Radio Caracol.”I am not interested in making clarifications about the situation via the media, but no one [from AFA] has said anything to me yet.“

Following a great job he has been doing with Atlanta United, Gerardo Tata Martino emerged as a candidate to take over several other national teams besides Argentina including Colombia. While Martino doesn’t deny that he likes the interest, he said that he wouldn’t decide on his future until the current MLS season is over.

“It pleases me to know that I would be held under consideration, but right now I am under contract with Atlanta, and once the MLS season is over, we will see what the future holds.” – he said.

Tata Martino started his coaching career by managing several clubs in Argentina and Paraguay, while also successfully coaching Paraguay national team from 2007 to 2011. He gained an unexpected opportunity to take over La Liga giants Barcelona in 2013 but decided to leave the club just a year later after failing to win a single major trophy. After a stint with Argentina, which ended after two years, Martino took over Atlanta United for the club’s inaugural season in MLS.

In his first season with the team, Tata Martino managed to take Atlanta to the 2017 MLS playoffs, finishing third in the Eastern Conference. In this season, Atlanta is playing even better with a strong chance to secure the top seed in the upcoming six games.

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