On Tuesday, Brazil and Argentina will lock horns in the highly-anticipated Copa America semi-final showdown. This Clasico will pit two South American powerhouses against each other in the penultimate stage of CONMEBOL's continental tournament and La Albiceleste have a lot to worry about ahead of this tie.
A lot has to do with Lionel Messi. In the biggest of games, every team looks to their talisman for inspiration but unfortunately for the two-time World Cup champions, La Pulga's record against the Selecao isn't great. In all fairness, Argentina as a team have struggled against their rival for many years but Leo's numbers do not build hope.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has crossed paths with the five-time FIFA World Cup champions on nine occasions and has come away with five defeats and only three wins. All three of those victories came in international friendlies.
Messi's record against Brazil
Played: 9
Wins: 3
Draws: 1
Losses: 5
Goals scored: 4
The Barcelona icon registered the first of his three wins over Brazil in his fifth encounter with the South American powerhouse. It was a friendly in Doha back in 2010 and Messi scored the only goal in that fixture, his first of four strikes against the Selecao.
The 2012 friendly in New Jersey saw a masterclass from the Argentine, as he scored a hat-trick in an unforgettable 4-3 win over their arch-rivals. The last time these two great footballing nations met, Leo and Co. came away with a 1-0 win albeit it came against a Tite side missing several superstars.
The 32-year-old is yet to win a competitive game against the hosts, which is worrying for Scaloni. Furthermore, La Albiceleste are yet to impress at this tournament despite making the last four and their skipper is yet to score from open play, with his one and only goal coming courtesy of a penalty in the 1-1 draw with Paraguay.
In Argentina's last two games, both of which ended in victories, Messi was deployed in a deeper role behind two strikers -- Sergio Aguero and Lautaro Martinez. This means the 2018-19 Pichichi winner might find goalscoring opportunities hard to come by.
Nonetheless, he is Lionel, one of the most talented players to have graced the game. He is also a man on a mission to end his wait for an international trophy. His immediate goal, though, is to complete a competitive game against Brazil and celebrate the scoreline and will give everything to achieve that.
