Getty Lionel Messi celebrates at the Copa America
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi topped almost all of the charts on his way to winning the Copa America and also appears to have outplayed all the stars at Euro 2020 too.
A stat showing the Argentine’s contribution has gone viral following the conclusion of both tournaments. It shows how Messi was simply out on his own in almost every category you can think of when the two tournaments are compared to each other, as shown by Nico Cantor at CBS Sports.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo scored one more goal than Messi but otherwise the Argentine beats all the players at the Copa America and Euro 2020 when it comes to assists, free-kicks, key passes, chances created, successful dribbles, goalcreating actions, shot creating actions and most accurate through balls.
Messi went home from Copa America with the title, the top scorer’s trophy, and was also named the tournament’s best player. The clean sweep is yet another career first for the 34-year-old.
#Messi = 🤯
First player in major international tournament history to be:
🐐 Tournament champion
🐐 Player of the Tournament
🐐 Top scorer
🐐 Top assister
The Argentine also added to his tally of man of the match awards at the Copa America which has brought up another eye-catching stat, as shown by Goal.
Lionel Messi was named Man of the Match in SIXTY-EIGHT percent of the games he played in 2021 🤯
Someone should probably sign him up 👀
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Messi Signs Everything He Sees
Messi’s success with the Argentina team has seen the forward warmly welcomed back home by his family and neighbours. The captain has been spotted busily signing shirts for supporters.
Messi doesn’t even know that he’s Messi. Cuz see how he’s picking the shirts of those rude fans from the ground to sign them😭😭😭
🐐 t.co/RwaveYh9J2
The Barcelona star was also stopped in his car by fans of former club Newell’s Old Boys and signed more shirts as the supporters urged him to return to the Argentine side, as shown by the team’s Twitter account.
Lionel Messi, who is currently in Rosario following Argentina’s Copa América win, stopped his car to sign Newell’s shirts as fans told him to “return to Newell’s!” 🐐🔴⚫️
Messi Reveals Holiday Plans After Copa Win
Messi will now enjoy some well-deserved time off ahead of the new La Liga season. The Argentina international offered some insight into his vacation plans in voice note sent to ESPN Argentina’s Sebastian Vignolo, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
“I am disconnected from everything, I am not looking at anything. Enjoying this moment. Preparing to go on vacation with my family, which is what it is now,” he said. “The truth is that I’m happy, it’s impossible to explain the happiness I feel. Me, my family, my friends. Crazy beautiful all of this.”
Barcelona started pre-season on Monday but will have to wait for some weeks for Messi to rejoin the team. The captain is expected to return to the Catalan giants despite currently being out of contract.
President Joan Laporta offered another update on Messi’s future on Monday, as reported by Marca. He told reporters once again, “[Messi’s renewal] is progressing adequately.”
Yet the club still has work to do to trim the wage bill which will enable Laporta to renew Messi’s contract and still remain within La Liga’s salary cap limits. A host of fringe players have already been sold but more cuts are needed.
According to Deportes Cuatro, Laporta could sell Antoine Griezmann and cut the wages of three of the team’s senior players by 40% in order to register Messi and the club’s four new signings: Eric Garcia, Sergio Aguero, Emerson Royal, and Memphis Depay.
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