Canada vs. Argentina at Copa América: What you need to know
Canada opens its account at the Copa América on Thursday in Atlanta against the defending champions and current World Cup holders.
Trying to neutralize one of the greatest players to ever compete in the sport is a tall task for any opponent.
But that's exactly the prospect facing Copa América debutantes Canada when it takes on Lionel Messi and Argentina in the opening game of the 2024 South American championship. Canadian coach Jesse Marsch isn't kidding himself about how difficult it will be for his team to try to contain Messi, an eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or.
"I think the challenge with Messi is not just his quality, but his ability to kind of move around in the game. He doesn't just show up in the same places all the time," Marsch told reporters on Wednesday.
He added: "He's very clever about coming underneath at times, about how he moves off the back line. Obviously, anytime he gets on the ball, the way that he can start to create combinations and really provide confidence and poise and quality for the team is very unique, right? This is what makes him the best player to ever play the game."
Here’s what you need to know about Thursday's match between Canada and Argentina at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium (8:00 p.m. ET/TSN).
