Copa America Final: The confidence-boosting Messi and Argentina stats ahead of Brazil clash

July 10, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: Lionel Messi, Neymar, Argentina, Brazil, Copa America Final

La Albiceleste look to get the better of their bitter rivals, the Selecao, in their search for their first major international trophy since 1993.

Argentina will lock horns with Brazil in the Copa America final, with these two South American power set to battle it out for CONMEBOL's coveted title.

All eyes will be on Lionel Messi and Co. as they aim to get the better of Neymar's team at the Maracana. Home advantage is not on their side and, as analyzed in another one of our Copa America articles, La Albiceleste do not boast an impressive record in finals in recent years, having lost seven title-deciding games since their last trophy in 1993.

Despite all of this, Lionel Scaloni's men head into this showdown with confidence. Having beaten Ecuador in the quarter-finals and then Colombia in the semis, albeit on penalties, the two-time FIFA World Cup champions have maintained their form. Will Argentina overcome the Selecao and will Messi get his hands on his first major trophy with his national team? Here are a few key stats to digest ahead of the 2021 Copa America final.

Messi's Copa America campaign

Where better to start than the man who even some Brazilians are rooting for: Lionel Messi. La Pulga's quest for the Copa America crown is no secret, having come up short in the final in 2007, 2015, and 2016. However, this time around, the Barcelona legend has been in sensational form, scoring the most number of goals (4), picking up the most number of assists (5), creating the most chances (19), and earning the most MOTM awards (4).

Messi stats

Games played: 6

Goals: 4

Assists: 5

Chances created: 19

And it doesn't stop there. The 34-year-old boasts the most successful dribbles and duels won all the while contributing to nine out of Argentina's 11 goals in the tournament so far. Not bad!

Records Lionel Messi has broken at #CopaAmerica 2021 :

Most appearances (150)

1st to play at 6 Copas

Most assists in a single Copa (5)

Records he can equal/break:

Joint-most Copa appearances (34)

Most goals in Copa history (17 to Messi's 13)

#OptusSport pic.twitter.com/xS33ZAExPN
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) July 10, 2021

Argentina's overall stats

La Albiceleste's record against Brazil in competitive meetings has not been great but there is a sense that this could be Argentina's best shot at beating the Selecao in a major final. One look at their 2021 Copa America stats shows why. While Tite's side are, once again, superior in the stats department, the differences are marginal. Messi and Co. average 1.8 goals per game compared to Brazil's 2. Otamendi and Co. have conceded 0.5 times per fixture; for the Selecao, that number is 0.3. Scaloni's men average 4.3 big chances per game while Neymar's side muster 5.1 per 90 minutes. The numbers are in favor of the home side, but the gap is minute.