After all that's been said and done, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is close to reaching his third straight final with La Albiceleste. So far, the talented playmaker hasn't been able to end Argentina's 23-year silverware drought, but as he gets ready for another semi-final matchup, we'll have a look at each and everyone of those he's played before with the National Team.
Since his debut with Argentina's senior squad, Messi has reached the semi-final stage of major competitions four times, including the ongoing Copa América edition. "La Pulga" has never lost a semi-final match with La Albiceleste, but he is yet to win his first trophy with his country. Here's a quick breakdown of each semi-final game in which he has featured.
2007 Copa América: Argentina 3-0 Mexico
Messi played the entire game against El Tri. He netted the second goal by finishing off Carlos Tévez's through pass. His lobbed ball found the back of Oswaldo Sánchez's net as the Argentines cruised to an easy win. In the post-match press conference, then-coach Alfio Basile stated that the game should have ended after that brilliant goal. In the press and among spectators, the electric effect of that wonder strike contributed in pushing the Rosario-born footballer (who was 20-years-old at the time) a step higher from a starlet to a superstar.
2014 World Cup: Argentina 0(4) - (2)0 The Netherlands
Following their Copa America 2007 final heart-break against eventual champions Brazil, Argentina failed to reach the Last Four of subsequent tournaments until the year 2014. They were thumped out of the 2010 World Cup by Germany and the 2011 Copa América by Uruguay -- both in the quarter-finals. Messi's next chance would come in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He carried his side out of the group stages but did not quite put on a show in the semis where the Argentines met the Netherlands.
The game against Louis Van Gaal's Dutch team was an excruciating experience for "La Pulga". Neither team was able to score during regulation time and extra-time. A penalty shootout was needed to determine the winner. Messi scored the first penalty for Argentina, but it was goalkeeper Sergio Romero who stole the spolight with his two saves.
Messi still made the headlines, however, for his celebration at the end of proceedings. It was seen as a direct response to the criticism he had received from Argentine fans and experts claiming that he honors Barcelona's shirt more than Argentina's.
2015 Copa América: Argentina 6-1 Paraguay
The Argentine ace reached the semi-finals of the South American tournament for the second time, and once again proved his worth for La Albiceleste. Barcelona's superstar played the full 90 minutes, and even if he failed to score, he managed to hand out three assists to his team-mates. During that game, Messi completed 45 out of 49 passes; in other words, he produced an outstanding 92% pass accuracy rate.
Here are Lionel Messi's highlights against Paraguay.
Messi's performances in semi-final matches for Argentina have always ended with a win for La Albiceleste. His history at this stage of major tournaments puts more pressure on the United States. The odds are on La Pulga's side. It would take a miracle for the USMNT to shut him down.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
