Lionel Messi's Argentina Beat Brazil for First Copa America in 28 Years

• Brazil vs Argentina saw Lionel Messi win a major title after Lionel Scaloni's side emerged champions of this year’s Copa America
• A 22nd minute strike by Angel Di Maria was all Albiceleste needed to end their 28-year wait for a major title
• Brazil’s unbeaten record at home was also ended after it stretched to over 2500 days as the hosts lost at the Maracana stadium

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Argentina are champions of this year’s Copa America with Lionel Messi winning his first major international title following a 1-0 win over Brazil on Saturday night, SportsNDTV reports.

The only goal of the encounter was scored by veteran Angel Di Maria in the 22nd minute helping La Albiceleste to end a 28-year wait for a major trophy.

The result also ended Brazil’s unbeaten record at home which stretches to over 2500 days as the Samba Boys were defeated at the Maracana stadium.

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Argentina last won a major title in 1993 when the great Gabriel Batistuta's brace gave them a 2-1 win over Mexico in the Copa final in Ecuador.

This is equally the first time in six editions that Brazil played a final at home without winning the title.

And while 34-year-old Messi's odyssey has come to an end, Brazil's Neymar, five years his junior, is still without a major title at international level having missed the Selecao's win on home soil two years ago through injury.

Defending Champions Brazil were not very convincing on the day, with their only notable chances in the game coming from Richarlison and Gabriel Barbosa.

Neymar was reduced to tears at full time as he is yet to clinch an international trophy with his native country while for Messi, it was a completely different emotion as he finally broke his duck.

For decades, football fans have slammed Messi in the debate on the greatest player of all time, saying his lack of international honours placed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Pele slightly ahead of him.

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But that school of thought is bound to come to an end after Argentina’s heroics in the Copa America final, with Messi winning the cup at his sixth attempt, having finished as runners up in 2007, 2015 and 2016.

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