Lionel Messi: Insane Footage Shows How Brazil Trained To Stop Argentina Ace in Copa America 2019

• Detailed footage of how Brazil planned to stop Lionel Messi when they faced him in the semifinals of the Copa America in 2019 has shown how much work was put in
• Tite held animated conversations and training sessions with his side and practised specifically on taming his dribbling skills and free kick-taking abilities
• The footage is part of Amazon’s All or Nothing: Brazil National Team, the Clash of Rivals that documented the rivalry between the two South American nations

Lionel Messi, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, have built names for themselves as the best players to ever grace a football pitch. It is a phenomenon that has dazzled on the pitch for decades plus with countless moments of brilliance.

The two have given opposition coaches and players sleepless nights pondering how to stop them. And it is therefore no surprise that the Brazil national team and their coach Tite spent long hours plotting how to contain Messi in 2019.

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In the new footage shot by Amazon, Tite is seen talking to his players as they prepared to face Argentina led by Messi in the Copa America semi-final.

In the video, Tite says,

Don’t try to take the ball away from him. If you do, he will dribble against you or you will give away a penalty. We have to realize that there’s one different player that we cannot neutralize but we have to diminish his actions.

The 61-year-old coach then explains that he showed his goalkeeper Alisson of Liverpool, the freekick that Messi scored against him in the Champions League. He then conducts freekick training sessions with a keen interest in how the wall should be set up in the event that Messi takes a freekick.

Of interest, Tite’s tactics worked as Messi got freekicks in very dangerous positions but they didn’t bear any fruition. Overall, as Casemiro aptly mentions in the video, they had a good game by neutralizing the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. Brazil won 2-0 and proceeded to the final.

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Indian footballer edges closer to Lionel Messi's record

Sports Brief has also reported that India captain Sunil Chhetri has walked into the top five players with the most international goals after scoring in the victory over Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifiers.

Chhetri equalled legendary Ferenc Puskas' 84 goal tally with his strike in the 4-0 thumping of Hong Kong.

The 37-year-old is now behind Ali Daei, Mokthar Dahari, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the list of top international goal scorers.