COPA AMÉRICA 2024
Argentina team news: Is Lionel Messi playing against Canada today in Copa América?
Head coach Lionel Scaloni had big decisions to make ahead of his side’s semi-final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
They may have toiled in their quarter-final victory over Ecuador but Argentina are now just 90 minutes away from a third consecutive major tournament final. Lionel Scaloni’s side face Canada at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday evening and will be the odds-on favourites to progress to Sunday’s finale.
Argentina have not quite hit the heights that many were expecting of them in this tournament, not helped by the surprisingly subdued performances of captain and talisman Lionel Messi. The 37-year-old has not yet scored in this summer’s Copa América and he missed the final game of the group stages due to an issue with his right thigh. However despite some concern about Messi’s fitness, Scaloni has confirmed: “Leo is good. He will be playing tomorrow.”
“It’s an easy decision for me,” the Argentina head coach continued. “It’s a fairly honest decision: I ask him how he feels. If he says ‘I’m not good,’ then he will play the last 30 minutes. When he’s available, he will play.”
What happens if players get a yellow card in Copa América semi-final?
Over the course of the tournament we’ve seen many big names ruled out of crucial games due to suspension. Most notably Vinicius Junior was unable to play any part in his team’s quarter-final loss to Uruguay, having collected his second booking of the Copa América in the final group stage game against Colombia.
Throughout the quarter-finals there were a number of players walking a disciplinary tightrope, desperately trying to avoid a second yellow card that would rule them out of the semis. However all bookings were wiped ahead of the semi-finals, meaning that players are not in danger of missing the final if they pick up another booking at this stage.
Argentina face Canada in the first semi-final on Tuesday, followed by Uruguay and Colombia going head-to-head on Wednesday. The only way that a player could miss the final, assuming their team makes it, would be if they receive a red card in the semi-final.