Two-time FIFA champion Mia Hamm reflects on the Messi mania in the USA
Mia Hamm isn’t at all surprised at how Lionel Messi has taken America by storm.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
Lionel Messi’s eventful year is over.
Messi, the World Cup winner and Inter Miami star, was held scoreless and appeared to re-injure his right leg in his final game of 2023. But his team was still victorious.
Nicolás Otamendi scored a header in the 64th minute to lead Argentina to a 1-0 victory over Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night at the iconic Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
It was an eventful game at the Maracana, where Messi and Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup to Germany but won the 2021 Copa America.
Argentina handed Brazil its first home defeat in a World Cup qualifier in what could have been Messi’s final game at Brazil’s historic stadium, despite delays in the stands.
“We needed this win after the defeat against Uruguay,” Messi said after the game. “We knew it would be a difficult game, similar to the Copa América final.” They put a lot of pressure on us, looked for us high up and it was difficult for us to have long possession of the ball. These games are characterized by details.”
Messi entered the game as the all-time leader in goals scored in CONMEBOL play with 31, but did not score against Brazil. In the 77th minute he failed to change this difference and left the game as a substitute.
Messi appeared to have injured his right leg in the first half against Brazil. In the 28th minute of the game, he had his right quadriceps checked by a trainer on the sideline but remained in the game.
It is unclear whether the injury caused Messi – slowed by a similar right leg injury that kept him out of six Inter Miami games and one qualifier in September – to leave the game early.
“Leo is the only player in the world who can be on the field in the conditions he played in today. He gave his best and helped the team,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said in his post-match press release.
Messi said he “felt injured at the start of the game but I got over it. It’s not (serious) and I hope to come back stronger.”
The game was delayed for at least 25 minutes due to fighting in the stands. Messi and his Argentina teammates jumped over a partition to get to an area where fighting fans were being mediated by police before the game.
Messi led his Argentina team back to the locker room as the commotion subsided and the game, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, began shortly after 7:55 p.m. ET.
Messi was fouled in the first minute of the game and had only one shot in the game, a left-footed one that collided with a Brazilian defender just minutes before the game-winning goal.
Otamendi towered over two Brazilian defenders and sent Giovani Lo Celso’s corner into the net.
Argentina has 15 points after six CONMEBOL games in September, October and November.
Messi is coming to the end of his stellar career, culminating in his World Cup win with Argentina last December and his monumental move from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami this year.
Earlier on Tuesday, Inter Miami denied its involvement in a potential match that could pit Messi against rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia early next year.
Now Messi turns his attention to some well-deserved rest and relaxation for the rest of the year before returning to Inter Miami for training camp in January.
The start of Tuesday’s match between Argentina and Brazil was delayed due to a situation in the stands of the iconic Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
The game began shortly after 7:55 p.m. ET, although the match between Argentina and Brazil was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and be broadcast by Telemundo.
Some of the fans were separated by police due to brawls before the game, which led to Lionel Messi and members of the Argentina national team approaching the stands. Messi and his teammates jumped over a partition and reached the stands in an area where the police intervened.
Messi and his teammates left the area near the stands to return to the pitch but went to the changing rooms. It was unclear whether Argentina returned to the stadium to line up for the pregame lineup announcement.
The Brazilian players remained on the field and the Argentine team eventually returned to start the game.
As the broadcast was directed to the crowd, there was a heavy police presence on the field and in the stands.
Leo Messi was substituted in the 77th minute of Argentina’s game against Brazil.
His night is over.
It is unclear whether Messi was feeling exhausted due to a right quadriceps injury that he was treated by a trainer near the Argentina bench in the 28th minute.
But his year 2023 is over.
Messi has failed to score in his last four games and was held goalless in what could be his final game at the Maracana Stadium.
Messi had yet to score a goal against Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in his career until Tuesday’s game. This distinction will remain.
Nicolás Otamendi was in the right place at the right time and Argentina is in the lead.
Otamendi’s header in the 64th minute gave Argentina a 1-0 lead in the game.
Otamendi towered over two Brazilian defenders to take Giovani Lo Celso’s corner kick and he sent it into the net.
About three minutes earlier, Messi hadn’t looked particularly good, but he shot into the net with his left foot.
However, Argentina are now in the lead in the second half of this difficult game against Brazil.
Gabriel Jesus led a Brazilian attack toward the net, but Gabriel Martinelli’s right boot was blocked by Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in the 58th minute.
The second half featured heated play from both Argentina and Brazil, just like the first half and the pre-game struggles in this game.
Both sides have 30 minutes left to resolve this issue.
Brazilian Bruno Guimarães earned a chance for a free kick, but the Brazilians were unable to capitalize on the opportunity in the 38th minute.
Raphinha, Barcelona’s standout player in La Liga, shot from outside the penalty area over the crossbar.
A sequence later after a corner, a header from the Brazilian Marquinhos narrowly missed the goal.
In the 28th minute of the game, Leo Messi was shown having his upper right quadriceps examined by a trainer near the Argentina bench.
Messi recently recovered from a right leg injury that affected him in September and missed six games against Inter Miami and one game against Argentina.
Messi remained in the game after being assessed on the sideline for about two minutes.
Still, it’s something to keep an eye on given Messi’s recent injury.
Messi and Argentina have three shot attempts in this game. And the Brazilians have more than twice as many fouls.
Brazil has seven fouls and two yellow cards, while Argentina only had two fouls in the first 15 minutes of this game. And both sides added a foul each in the next two minutes.
Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha received early yellow cards for Brazil.
Messi started the game with a foul of his own in the first minute and set up the first of two Argentine shots in the ninth minute.
Argentina vs Brazil preview
No one has scored more goals in South American World Cup qualifying than Lionel Messi.
Messi has scored 31 goals in CONMEBOL games in his career, but has yet to score against Brazil.
Messi, the World Cup winner and star of Inter Miami in the MLS, has a chance to change that difference in Tuesday night’s game between Argentina and Brazil at the legendary Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Argentina is coming off its first defeat in almost a year after losing 2-0 to Uruguay last Thursday. And Messi hasn’t scored in his last three games.
But Argentina won’t take an undermanned Brazil national team for granted. The Brazilians will be without stars Neymar (torn cruciate ligament), Vinícius Júnior (thigh) and Casemiro (thigh) in the game on Tuesday evening.
“They have significant absences, but if you look at the team, they are all at the highest level,” Argentina coach Luis Scaloni said during a press conference on Monday. “They have great players who are up to the task and it is Brazil, everyone knows what that means.”
News that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could be on the pitch together next year sparked global excitement, but Inter Miami has refuted an announcement on Tuesday that it will play in Saudi Arabia.
“Today it was announced that Inter Miami CF will play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate,” Inter Miami said in a statement.
It was announced that Messi and Inter Miami would face Ronaldo and Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia in February.
Read more about Tuesday’s Messi and Ronaldo news here.
Messi will play what could be his final game at Brazil’s iconic stadium, scoring his first qualifying goal against Brazil, at a venue that has brought both heartache and joy to football’s greatest star.
Messi suffered one of the worst defeats of his career, the 2014 World Cup final against Germany at the Marcana Stadium. At the same stadium, he also led Argentina to the Copa America crown in 2021, his first national team title.
Messi is at the end of his outstanding career, culminating in his World Cup victory with Argentina last December at MLS club Inter Miami and playing the qualifying games with his national team this fall.
This is Messi’s last game for 2023
It was an eventful year for Leo Messi in 2023.
The Argentine legend began the year by celebrating his World Cup victory in Qatar last December, then ended his tumultuous career with Paris Saint-Germain and moved to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
Messi had planned his offseason for at least a month. He planned to vacation in Argentina, he said in an interview after scoring two goals against Peru last month.
“It will be the first time in a long time that I will spend many days in peace with my people here in December during the holidays,” Messi said. “And in January I will be back, I will do a pre-season and prepare as well as I can as always.”
Messi, Argentina lost their first game since the World Cup last week
Messi and Argentina lost 2-0 to Uruguay last Thursday, their first defeat since the World Cup in Qatar last December.
It was Argentina’s first defeat in almost a year, since the 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the World Cup on November 22, 2022.
Argentina had not conceded a goal to their opponents in eight games – four friendlies and four qualifiers – since their thrilling victory over France in the final.
Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez’s impressive 751-minute shutout streak ended during the game.
Messi has not scored in his last three games
Messi has gone goalless in his last three games, having scored in the 32nd and 42nd minutes of Argentina’s 2-0 win over Peru on October 17.
Messi did not score in Inter Miami’s season finale against Charlotte FC on October 21, nor in Inter Miami’s friendly against New York City FC to honor his eighth Ballon d’Or on November 10.
He also didn’t score in Argentina’s loss to Uruguay last Thursday.
What is the CONMEBOL rankings?
Argentina continues to lead the South American qualifiers, while Brazil is in mid-table.
Argentina leads the 10-team group with 12 points in five games. Uruguay is second with 10 points. Colombia has nine and Venezuela has eight. Brazil has seven points. Ecuador, Paraguay and Chile have five points each. Bolivia has three and Peru has one point.