Messi going for first major league victory against co-players

Lionel Messi (29, Argentina) is going for his first victory in a major league. Argentina will have the final match of Copa America 2016 with Chile at 9 a.m. on Monday (Korean time) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The two teams met in the final in the same tournament last year when Chile beat Argentina 4 to 1 in the penalty shoot-out.

In order for Messi to have the first win in a major league as a member of the Argentine national team, he will have to deal with goal keeper Claudio Bravo of Chile, his co-player from FC Barcelona. Bravo led his team to a win in the Spain Primera Liga last season by not allowing a single goal in 15 matches out of 32 matches. Although his performance in the tournament's third match was not as good, allowing five goals, he later rebounded by not allowing any goals in the quarterfinal and the semifinal. Messi was absent in earlier matches in the Group D, which Argentina won 2 to 1. In his Instagram on Friday, Messi wrote, "I am waiting for my last destination on a plane once again." Bravo stated, "I will never give up even if my body collapses."

Messi has made five goals in this tournament, which is the second most, and fans are wondering if he can beat Eduardo Vargas (six goals) and become the top scorer. Messi had not shown his true ability in his national team, but in this tournament, he made goals in the group tournament, the quarterfinal, and the semifinal. Vargas made four goals in the quarterfinal with Mexico as well, demonstrating his value.

Argentina's "football hero" Diego Maradona is going for Argentina's first win in 23 years. In a press interview, he remarked, "The team should not return to their country unless they win the tournament."

정윤철기자 trigger@donga.com