Argentina Prepares For Tough Copa America Title Defence Against Canada

Argentina are gearing up to defend their Copa America title, with Lionel Messi maintaining a realistic outlook ahead of their opening match against Canada on Thursday. The Albiceleste clinched the title in 2021 by defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final, marking their first win since 1993. They then went on to lift the World Cup just over a year later.

Since their victory over France in December 2022, Argentina have been in strong form, losing only one of their 14 matches in all competitions and winning the other 13. Messi, who will become the Copa America's all-time record appearance-maker in his next game, expects a tough challenge to retain the trophy.

"Argentina are always favourites," Messi said. "I think it is going to be a very eventful tournament because national teams are becoming better and better. Today we are the best because we won the World Cup, but the Copa America is going to be difficult. It will be even, and our team is aware that we are going to have to continue doing the same and more to win again."

Canada are making their first appearance at the Copa America after qualifying through the playoffs with a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. They failed to advance past the group stage in Qatar two years ago but are now under new coach Jesse Marsch and looking to make an impression before co-hosting the World Cup in 2026.

Canada had an encouraging 0-0 draw against France in their last warm-up match. They hope that a squad featuring Alphonso Davies, Stephen Eustaquio, and Jonathan David can be competitive in Group A, which also includes Chile and Peru.

"We're excited for this tournament; we know it's a big challenge," said Marsch. "It won't be a shock to us when we encounter the quality and level of play with Argentina. We'll be preparing heavily for everything that Argentina will do and prepare for what they present. Certainly, Messi is still a massive part of their team and who they are."

Players to Watch

Argentina: Lionel Messi

Messi's next appearance in the Copa America will be his 35th, overtaking Chile's Sergio Livingstone. He has scored 13 goals for Argentina in the competition and provided nine assists. Since the start of the 2011 edition, Messi has had more shots than any other player at the tournament (102).

Canada: Cyle Larin

Larin is Canada's all-time top scorer with 29 goals in 68 appearances, including a key strike against Trinidad and Tobago. Despite struggling for goals with Real Mallorca in LaLiga during the 2023-24 season, Larin aims to improve his international record at the tournament.

Match Prediction

Argentina are overwhelming favourites to start their title defence with a win, holding a 74.3% chance of securing three points. Canada have an 11% chance of causing an upset in their Copa America debut, with a draw slightly more likely at 14.7%.

The Albiceleste have only lost once since early 2023, conceding just four goals and keeping 11 clean sheets in that run of 14 matches. Canada failed to score in either of their warm-up friendlies against the Netherlands (4-0) and France (0-0), last finding the net in March.