Argentina are Copa America champions once again.

They were the pre-tournament favourites according to Opta's supercomputer, and they lived up to the billing in the United States, retaining their title and winning the Copa America for a record 16th time.

Lionel Scaloni's team beat Colombia 1-0 in Sunday's final, despite Lionel Messi going off injured and in tears, with Lautaro Martinez sealing victory in extra time.

Martinez was one of the standout positives from the Copa America, but who were the others, and which teams and players failed to impress?

THE TOPS

Argentina

Let's start with the champions. They won the Copa America while only conceding one goal in their six matches, with Scaloni's success built on a mean defence, rather than just the magic of Messi.

Indeed, Messi's magic was in somewhat short supply. He was a creative fulcrum in Argentina's opening win over Canada, and then scored his only goal of the tournament against Jesse Marsch's team in a semi-final reunion, but injuries plagued his campaign.

He was in tears as he made his way to the bench in Sunday's final, but nevertheless bowed out of what will surely be his final Copa America as a back-to-back champion.

Argentina were not always pretty, but with the now-retired Angel Di Maria and Golden Boot winner Martinez picking up the slack, along with Emiliano Martinez in fine form between the sticks, they got the job done.

Lautaro Martinez

Argentina's hero was not Messi in the end, but instead it was Martinez, who completed something of a redemption arc after he endured a poor World Cup on a personal level in Qatar, where he failed to convert any of his 14 attempts at goal.

Indeed, Martinez headed into the Copa America without having scored for Argentina in World Cup 2026 qualifying, and he was not going to be a regular starter.

Well, he wasn't a regular starter, playing only 221 minutes, but he scored five times to clinch the Golden Boot, matching the best tally by Argentine players at the Copa America since the turn of the century (Messi in 2016, Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007).

Martinez scored every 44 minutes on average, having 11 shots and outperforming his 3.26 xG.

James Rodriguez

Messi might have been unable to take a starring role, but James Rodriguez ensured there was one number 10 who took centre-stage at this edition of the tournament.

James was not picked for Colombia's squad in 2021, yet he has been made his team's main man again by Nestor Lorenzo, who was rewarded by some quite sensational displays.

The 33-year-old provided six assists, breaking the record Messi set in 2021 (five), while creating a tournament-leading 20 chances, six more than any other player.

James wanted the ultimate prize, but ultimately had to settle with being named the Copa America Player of the Tournament.

Marcelo Bielsa

El Loco is back in business, and even though Uruguay didn't reach the final, falling short in the semis, they are a team moulded in their coach's profile.

Bielsa has his side playing front-foot, fast-paced football, but they are also stern defenders, as they proved in a goalless draw with Brazil, which they then won on penalties despite having gone down to 10 men.

The future is bright with Bielsa at the helm.

Jesse Marsch and Canada

Not much was expected of tournament debutants Canada, but two years in advance of co-hosting the World Cup, the Reds went on a great run to the semi-finals.

Sure, they only won one match in normal time, but a penalty shoot-out victory over Venezuela in the quarters teed up a rematch against Argentina and the champions just had too much quality (again).

Jesse Marsch's stock was low after he was sacked by Leeds United, but after a spell out of the game, this job looks to be the perfect fit for the confident American.

And with Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David spearheading Canada's hopes in 2026, perhaps something special is on the cards.

THE FLOPS

Brazil

Dorival Junior, who took over as Brazil head coach in January, has asked for time and patience to complete a rebuild, having left several big names out due to a lack of form or fitness. Neymar, of course, was also absent, having missed pretty much all of last season due to injury.

But the Selecao really did flop at this Copa America.

Their only win came against Paraguay (4-1) in the group stage, and their failure to top Group D meant they went up against Uruguay in the last eight.

Vinicius Junior scored a double against Paraguay but then got himself suspended for the clash with La Celeste. If he had been available, maybe matters might have been different, but as it was, the nine-time Copa America champions crashed out.

United States

The USA were meant to go far at what was a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup. Instead, they slumped out in the group stage and Gregg Berhalter was fired.

It is the first time the Stars and Stripes have failed to advance after winning their opening group-stage match of a tournament, having previously advanced all 23 times they had won their opener.

After beating Bolivia, USA lost to Panama and Uruguay in a damp squib of a campaign.

US Soccer must now try and move on from the Berhalter era. They have a talented squad at their disposal, but a golden generation could be wasted if they do not get their next appointment right.

Jurgen Klopp has reportedly been approached, and reportedly turned that offer down, too.

The organisers

From poor pitches to poor organisation, CONMEBOL did not come out of this tournament well.

Bielsa and Marsch both lambasted the governing body during their final press conferences, while Messi and Scaloni were critical of the quality of the playing surfaces.

And then, before the final, crowd trouble outside Miami's Hard Rock stadium forced the postponement of the showpiece. Oh, and there was also that matter of fighting in the stands between Uruguay players and Colombia fans.

There's work to do on that front.

Mexico 

Only twice in 10 previous participations at the Copa America had Mexico gone out in the group stage, failing to win a game in back-to-back editions in 2011 and 2015.

El Tri did manage a victory this time around, beating Jamaica 1-0 in their Group B opener, but that was as good as it got as a 1-0 loss to Venezuela and a goalless draw with Ecuador saw them edged out on goal difference, finishing third in their pool.

Mexico scored just once from chances totalling 4.86 xG, their forwards letting them down as they recorded the second-worst underperformance at the tournament (behind Canada, - 4.36).

Darwin Nunez

Nunez was wasteful for Liverpool throughout the 2023-24 season, and things did not change for him at the Copa America despite Uruguay entertaining en route to the semi-finals.

His two goals, both of which came in the group stage, came from a total of 21 shots worth 2.68 xG, and only five of those efforts saw him hit the target.

His figure of 1.93 expected goals on target (xGoT), meanwhile, demonstrated the way in which his sub-par finishing made opportunities less likely to result in a goal.

Nunez's tournament then ended with the forward being involved in violent clashes with Colombia fans after La Celeste's semi-final defeat. 

James Rodriguez and Lautaro Martinez scooped the top awards at the 2024 Copa America following Argentina's 1-0 win over Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium. 

Martinez's extra-time strike secured Argentina's record 16th triumph in the finals, moving them ahead of Uruguay as the most successful team in the competition. 

His five goals for La Albiceleste secured him the tournament's Golden Boot, equalling the most scored by an Argentine player in a single edition of the Copa America in the 21st century, going level with Lionel Messi in 2016 and Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007.

Despite Colombia's defeat, James had yet another outstanding international tournament having previously starred for Los Cafeteros at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 

James received the tournament's Best Player award, having produced six assists in Colombia's run to the final, surpassing Messi's previous record (five) achieved during Argentina's 2021 success. 

Emiliano Martinez claimed his third consecutive Golden Glove at a major tournament, having kept five clean sheets at the 2024 Copa America. 

Argentina conceded just once in their quarter-final against Ecuador and needed penalties to advance to the semi-finals with Martinez saving the first two spot-kicks. 

Among the teams that have played at least five matches in an edition of the tournament, only four teams have conceded fewer than two goals – Argentina in 2024 (one), Colombia in 2001 (zero), Brazil in 1989 (one) and 2019 (one).

This was not the potential Copa America farewell that Lionel Messi had dreamed of.

With a little over an hour played in Miami, where he is tearing through MLS sides on a weekly basis, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was in tears as he trudged off with an apparent ankle injury.

The next Copa America is not until 2028; Messi will be beyond 40 - surely, this was his last appearance in the competition in which he has now played more games than any other player?

For Messi's individual pain, though, there was national glory. Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024, with Portugal crashing out in the quarters, Argentina have gone the distance and, for a third successive major tournament, come out as the top dogs. They beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday and claimed a record-setting 16th Copa America title.

But if the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup were all about their magical number 10, this time around, Lautaro Martinez provided the spark.

Martinez has not been a regular starter under Lionel Scaloni. He endured a difficult World Cup in Qatar on a personal level, failing to score from 14 shots and an accumulated xG of 1.81.

Yet in the United States, on the back of a fantastic season with Inter, Martinez has shown there is life after Messi for Argentina.

Despite having already scored four goals at the tournament to lead the Golden Boot race ahead of kick-off against Colombia, which was delayed by over an hour due to crowd trouble outside the Hard Rock Stadium, Martinez was not called upon until seven minutes into extra time.

It had, to that point, been an attritional encounter. Sure, plenty of shots (14 for Colombia, seven for Argentina) but Nicolas Gonzalez's disallowed goal and a strike off the post from Jhon Cordoba were the closest either team came. The second half alone, meanwhile, featured 13 fouls as the darker side of South American football reared its head.

This was not a game for flair. James Rodriguez, the Player of the Tournament, still got on the ball for Colombia when he could - he created three chances and played a match-leading 20 passes into the final third. Angel Di Maria, in his final match before international retirement, provided some spark for Argentina with three key passes of his own.

But it was Martinez who would make himself the (unlikely) hero. Five minutes after his introduction, he was put through by fellow substitute Giovani Lo Celso and, with his only shot of the night, coolly put Argentina ahead.

Jubilation for Argentina, who continued the pattern that began in 1983, which consists of alternating two-time champions and new winners at the Copa America. 

Deflation, though, for Colombia, whose long unbeaten streak came to an end after 27 games, and their 23-year wait for a second Copa America title will roll on to become 27 years, at least. Will they get a better chance, especially after seeing Messi go off?

Argentina had less possession than their opponents for the first time since the semi-finals against Croatia in the last World Cup, with Colombia seeing 55.7% of the ball.

But even if Messi, who scored only once across the tournament, was not at his fluid best, or even available at all, Argentina proved they can win without him. After he dragged them to glory in Qatar, Messi had to watch on - with his ankle swelling - from the sidelines as Martinez got Argentina over the line.

This victory is one that has been built on a spectacularly solid defence, too. Argentina conceded only once in six games, in the quarter-final against Ecuador, which they won on penalties. Among the teams that played at least five matches in any edition of the Copa America, only four conceded fewer than two goals: Argentina in 2024 (one), Colombia in 2001 (0), Brazil in 1989 (one) and 2019 (one).

And what of Messi, then? 

At 37 years and 20 days old, he became the oldest player to start a Copa America final in the 21st century. He is also the first player to play in five finals (2007, 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2024), surpassing Javier Mascherano (2004, 2007, 2015 and 2016).

He had not been substituted in a Copa America match since July 2007, also in a meeting with Colombia, but needs must.

If this was, as expected, his farewell appearance in the competition, he goes out a two-time champion and with 14 goals to his name, three short of the tournament's record scorers.

Martinez, meanwhile, has completed his redemption arc. His tally of five goals not only wins him the Golden Boot, but also matches the best effort by an Argentine at the Copa America since the turn of the century (along with Messi in 2016 and Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007).

His goals came from just 221 minutes of action, and he started just two of Argentina's six matches.

Colombia will lick their wounds, but so too must CONMEBOL and CONCACAF. 

Passions run high in South American football, and the Americas in general, but the United States will be hosting a World Cup in two years' time. The chaos outside the stadium gates, which resulted in hundreds if not thousands of fans entering without tickets, and the match being delayed, does not reflect well at all.

Like Martinez in an international shirt, those governing bodies must up their games. 

Lionel Messi is a doubt for Argentina's Copa America quarter-final tie against Ecuador, so says Lionel Scaloni.

With the holders having already booked their progression to the last eight, Messi, who is the record appearance maker at the Copa America, sat out Argentina's final Group A match against Peru.

His absence was not felt as Lautaro Martinez's double propelled Argentina to their third win of the tournament.

However, ahead of Thursday's knockout clash with Ecuador in Houston, Scaloni suggested the 37-year-old may miss out again.

"We will wait a few hours and make a decision. Another day is always better. We'll decide on the basis of the response we get today," Scaloni said on Wednesday.

"We'll try to get him to play and if he doesn't, we'll try to find the best thing for the team.

"I'm going to talk to him today, I think it's fair that he takes his time and trains as much as he can."

Should Messi not make it, then Scaloni will likely lean on the tournament's leading scorer Martinez, who has netted four goals so far despite starting only one match.

Regardless of Messi's fitness, Argentina, who beat Ecuador 1-0 in a pre-tournament friendly, are big favourites to progress to the semi-finals, with Opta's predictive model handing them a 68.4% chance of victory.

Yet Scaloni knows Ecuador must not be underestimated.

"Ecuador are a well-drilled side with good players and a good coach," he said.

"They are one of the best teams in the Copa America. They have a real chance of challenging for the title.

"Anyone can easily reach the final and compete with the best in the world.

"Yesterday's game between Colombia and Brazil was of a very high standard. Uruguay are also doing very well."

Argentina have won their last eight matches, including friendlies, equalling the longest winning streak under Scaloni.

A win over Ecuador will set a new record for La Albiceleste since Scaloni's debut as coach in September 2018.

The Copa America is well under way, with the group stages already done and dusted.

Argentina made light work of progressing from Group A, even though Lionel Messi had to sit out their last fixture.

And key to their success has been the goalscoring form of Lautaro Martinez, who is making up for some bad misses at the 2022 World Cup.

Brazil also progressed, with Vinicius Junior their talisman as expected, while Darwin Nunez is the key attacker for Marcelo Bielsa's free-flowing Uruguay.

Ahead of the knockouts, how is the Copa America Golden Boot race shaping up?

Lautaro Martinez (four goals)

We'll start with the leader in the race, and that is Martinez.

The forward had an outstanding season for Inter, who he led to the Scudetto while finishing as top scorer in Serie A, scoring 24 goals in 33 appearances, and comfortably outperforming his 17.6 xG.

However, he came into the build-up to this tournament in poor form for his country, having not netted for Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifying.

But he scored a double in a 4-1 win over Guatemala in a pre-tournament friendly, and even though he has started just one of Argentina's matches so far, he has netted four times.

Martinez is also the Argentina player with the most shots (nine). In fact, since his debut in the Copa America in 2019, Martinez is the tournament's top scorer with nine goals (two in 2019, three in 2021, four in 2024), four more than Messi and Luis Diaz (five each).

It remains to be seen whether Martinez will have to settle for a super-sub role once Messi returns to the fold, but with Ecuador next up, and then a potential semi-final against either Canada or Venezuela, Argentina's path to the final is opening up nicely, and Martinez should fancy his chances.

Vinicius Junior (two goals)

Fresh from winning the Champions League with Real Madrid (and scoring in the final – again), Vinicius came into the Copa America as Brazil's talisman.

With Neymar absent through injury, the onus is on the winger to provide the creative spark and clinical edge to drag what looks like a more dogged, workmanlike squad through to the latter stages.

However, he will be absent for Brazil's clash with in-form Uruguay, who are arguably the favourites going into that tie, due to picking up two yellow cards in the group stages.

Vinicius' booking tally matches his goal tally at the tournament so far, with both of those having come in the first half of a 4-1 rout of Paraguay.

But with Brazil only having a maximum of two games left, will he have time to catch Martinez?

Darwin Nunez (two goals)

One player who could end Vinicius' hopes altogether is Uruguay forward Nunez.

The Liverpool striker is an erratic finisher, but he is an integral part of Marcelo Bielsa's free-flowing attack.

The 24-year-old may never be ultra-clinical, (he had a shot conversion rate of 10.2 per cent in the Premier League in the season just gone) but his pace, tenacity and work rate make him the ideal Bielsa folly up top.

Indeed, he has converted just one of his six Opta-defined big chances so far at this Copa America, but his two goals have come from an xG of 1.8, showing he's about on track.

If Uruguay can get past Brazil, they will face Colombia or Panama in the semi-finals. Nunez should be locking in on that Golden Boot.

Salomon Rondon (two goals)

An unlikely name on this list is Venezuela veteran Rondon, but his two goals – scored in wins over Mexico and Jamaica – helped his side top Group B with nine points.

Venezuela will face Canada in the quarters, and while Jesse Marsch's team are a surprise package in the last eight, they have proved they can be wide open defensively at times.

Only three players can better Rondon's 1.98 xG across the tournament so far, while the 34-year-old has had 13 shots, which matches Martinez's total.

He is getting into good positions and having plenty of attempts. If Venezuela indeed get the better of Canada, who's to say Rondon cannot claim this prize?

Daniel Munoz, Eduard Bello, Maximiliano Araujo (two goals)

There are three other players tied on two goals, though perhaps they are a tad more unlikely to challenge Martinez.

Munoz grabbed his second goal of the tournament in Colombia's 1-1 draw with Brazil, though as a right-back, he cannot be expected to keep up the scoring run.

Bello, meanwhile, has scored his two goals from just three shots, so that does not seem particularly sustainable.

Araujo, on the other hand, has netted twice from an xG of just 0.6, so he is overperforming.

What about Messi?

Not only did Messi finish as joint-top scorer at the 2021 Copa, he was also the leading assister and then, 18 months later, he went on to lead Argentina to World Cup glory, scoring seven goals in the process, from 6.6 expected goals – only Kylian Mbappe (eight) netted more times in Qatar.

Messi has scored 13 Copa America goals, which puts him joint-seventh on the all-time list, alongside fellow Argentina great Gabriel Batistuta. 

However, he has been unable to add to that total so far.

He took on the role of creator in Argentina's opening win against Canada, and has had seven shots in total, but so far, no luck.

Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez feels he has put his World Cup struggles firmly behind him by getting amongst the goals at the Copa America.

Martinez scored twice as Argentina saw off Peru 2-0 in their final Group A game on Saturday.

That victory ensured the holders progressed to the quarter-finals as group winners, as expected, and they will now face either Venezuela, Mexico or Ecuador.

Inter forward Martinez, who was the leading scorer in Serie A in 2023-24, finished the group stage as not only the tournament's leading scorer, but also the Argentina player with the most shots (nine), despite not starting two out of the three games.

Yet standing in for Lionel Messi, who was rested, Martinez thrived, and he believes he has cast aside his woes from the Qatar World Cup, where he failed to get on the scoresheet.

"I'm happy, because I was able to score in the three group-stage games and because I was able to help the team, which is what counts," the 26-year-old told TyC Sports.

"I'm fine, as I said when the match with Chile ended, I had a great season at my club and I felt good.

"I felt ready to get rid of the thorn from the World Cup, that was important for me, to prepare well for the Copa America, which I did and I'm showing it. Let's keep working."

Martinez is two goals ahead of any other player in the Copa America Golden Boot race as it stands. 

In fact, since his debut in the Copa America in 2019, Martinez is the tournament's top scorer with nine goals (two in 2019, three in 2021, four in 2024), four more than Messi and Luis Diaz (five each).

Meanwhile, Argentina assistant Walter Samuel, who was filling in for the suspended Lionel Scaloni, suggested that Messi is on course to be fit for the quarter-finals.

"He was in the locker room, we noticed [he was] better," said Samuel.

"The situation is improving but it's a few days and the situation is premature to talk about. We'll talk about it on a day-to-day basis with him, and talk to the doctors."

Martinez was more positive, saying: "Leo is fine, we hope he can be in the next game. I dedicated the goal to him because I know what Leo means to us."

Angel Di Maria added: "Leo is fine, he's recovering, we hope he will be ready for the next game. Today's victory is for him."

Argentina have won their first three matches of a Copa America on 18 occasions. However, this is only the third time they have done so in their last 12 participations (along with 2007 and 2016).

Lautaro Martinez's fine goalscoring form continued as he sealed top spot for Argentina in Group A, with a 2-0 victory over Peru, who were eliminated from the competition.

With Lionel Messi out due to a groin injury, the forward stepped up, scoring at the start and end of the second half to ease any nerves after a slow first 45 minutes at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Leandro Paredes' miss from the penalty spot did not prove costly as Peru failed to threaten in what was a must-win game.

Argentina will face the runner-up of Group B in their quarter-final, while Canada take second place in the group after their 0-0 draw with Chile, while Peru make an early exit.

With a place in the quarter-finals already secured, Argentina made a slow start to the game - Alejandro Garnacho's deflected curler was their only chance in the opening 25 minutes.

The goalkeeper was required to keep things level shortly after, getting a strong hand to stop Paredes' whipped free-kick from heading into the top-left corner.

Giovani Lo Celso was then picked out on the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time, but Gallese parried his first-time shot before Garnacho fired the rebound just over the crossbar.

The half-time team talk worked wonders for Argentina, as Angel Di Maria cut Peru's defence wide open by picking out Martinez, who deftly chipped the opener over Gallese just two minutes into the second half.

Nicolas Tagliafico thought he had doubled their tally moments later, poking over the line from a corner, but it was disallowed as Lo Celso was blocking the goalkeeper's view from an offside position.

Argentina had another chance to double their lead in the 69th minute, with Jesus Castillo penalised for a handball as he slid in to block Paredes' cross in the box, and the midfielder could not profit, rattling the inside of the post with a powerful spot-kick.

In an almost carbon copy of his first goal, Martinez raced in behind once again in the 86th minute and lifted a lovely effort over Gallese, who could not get a hand to it.

Franco Zanelatto almost salvaged some pride for La Blanquirroja in the dying moments, but his thumping header bounced off the near post and, agonisingly, along the face of goal.

Martinez retains golden touch

Though Argentina were already into the quarter-finals with a game to spare, it felt like they might not be at their best without talisman Messi and manager Lionel Scaloni, who was serving a touchline ban.

However, Martinez has stepped up in this tournament, scoring in all three of their group games as he leads the race for the Golden Boot with four goals to his name.

His first two strikes both came off the bench, with his late winner sending the Albiceleste into the knockout stages against Chile, and he made the most of his first start in the tournament with an early goal in the second half.

It is just the third time this century that Argentina have won all three of their group games - the last two times (2007, 2016) they finished as runners-up, but Scaloni will be hoping they can go one better and defend their title this time around.

Peru go out with a whimper

This year's Copa America has been a tournament to forget for Peru, who go out of the tournament with just one point to their name - it is the first time they have been eliminated without a single victory since 1995.

La Blanquirroja needed a win to have a chance of snagging second spot, with hope that Canada and Chile played out a draw in the other Group A game.

However, they managed just six shots in the game, creating an expected goals of 0.14, and finish the tournament with a meagre tally of 22 efforts from their three matches without hitting the back of the net.

It was always going to be a tough ask to get a win against the defending champions, even with all of their changes, but Peru's starting front three of Bryan Reyna, Paolo Guerrero and Edison Flores not managing a single shot did not make matters easier.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni will prioritise balance throughout the Copa America, with Lautaro Martinez pushing for a start after scoring twice from the bench.

Having come on to add Argentina's second goal in a 2-0 win over Canada last week, Martinez struck an 88th-minute winner in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Chile.

Martinez's three competitive goals off the bench for Argentina are more than any other player has managed for the team since his international debut in 2018.

The Inter man's impact has led to suggestions he could edge out Julian Alvarez to start alongside Lionel Messi, but Scaloni will select his number nine on a game-by-game basis.

"Lautaro and Julian have played together," Scaloni said. "There's always the need for balance. 

"Lautaro is very happy today, and Julian is too. I will always choose the one that I think is best suited for that match.

"Today Julian played, but we have 11 players. We have to balance the gameplan.

"Sometimes there might be a disruption of that balance for any reason, but usually, I like playing with a good structure. We will be making choices throughout the tournament."

Argentina have secured their place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare and will top Group A if they avoid defeat against Peru on Saturday.

Despite overseeing a perfect start to the Albiceleste's title defence, Scaloni has been questioned for not calling upon Alejandro Garnacho, who has been an unused substitute in both matches after enjoying a breakout campaign with Manchester United.

"We would love to see him because he is young and he is a fresh player," Scaloni said of the winger. 

"Sometimes we think that given the match, we could send him in. But then as the match evolves, we think maybe it is not the right match.

"Hopefully when we give the young players the opportunity, they will be able to seize it."

Lautaro Martinez struck a dramatic late winner as Argentina beat Chile 1-0 to secure their place in the Copa America knockout stages with a game to spare.

The reigning champions looked like they would have to settle for a point on a frustrating night at the MetLife Stadium, having failed to turn their superiority into the game's opening goal.

But substitute Martinez, who also netted from the bench in his nation's opener against Canada, finally broke Chile's resolve when he lashed home two minutes from time.

It moved Lionel Scaloni's side onto six points at the Group A summit - three points ahead of Canada, who beat Peru 1-0 earlier in the day - meaning a draw against Peru in their final game will be enough to secure top spot.

Argentina dominated the first half with 13 unanswered shots, yet just three of those were on target. One of them saw Julian Alvarez fire straight at Claudio Bravo from close range in the 22nd minute.

Lionel Messi also went close to scoring in the 36th minute. La Albiceleste's skipper let fly with a fizzing 25-yard attempt that clipped the outside of Bravo's left post, while Erick Pulgar almost turned Nahuel Molina's cross beyond the Chile goalkeeper two minutes later.

La Roja had Bravo to thank for keeping Argentina at bay, as the reigning champions continued to carry the greater attacking threat after the break.

The veteran stopper beat away Molina's fierce strike within five minutes of the restart, and just after the hour mark, he produced a superb reflex save to tip Nicolas Gonzalez's drive onto the crossbar.

With the breakthrough still eluding the world champions, Scaloni bolstered his attack by introducing Angel Di Maria and Martinez for the final 17 minutes.

Chile had increased their own attacking threat by registering their first attempts on goal in the contest, with Rodrigo Echeverria calling Emiliano Martinez into action on both occasions.

Yet, there was to be a late twist in Argentina's favour when an 88th-minute corner broke kindly for Martinez, who reacted the quickest to fire into the roof of the net and send La Albiceleste through to the quarter-finals.

Persistence pays dividends for Argentina

The recent history books would suggest Argentina should fancy their chances against Chile.

This is epitomised by the fact they are now unbeaten after 90 minutes in the last 13 meetings, winning eight of those, but that does not tell the full story.

Seven of those eight victories have only been by a single-goal margin and, of course, they lost on penalties in the Copa America final showdowns of 2015 and 2016.

Though they dominated most of this contest and registered 22 shots to their opponents' three, just the one goal was enough once more - with both of Martinez's strikes from the bench in this competition coming in the 88th minute.

Argentina progress to the Copa America knockout stages for a 14th consecutive time, excluding when they withdrew from the 2001 tournament.

Toothless La Roja resistance finally broken

Chile looked set to frustrate Argentina once again at the Copa America, and hold out for a second successive clean sheet.

Their defensive resolve - along with an inspired performance by Bravo between the sticks - looked like it would remain firm and keep the reigning champions at bay, until Martinez's late intervention.

What will be more concerning for La Roja is the fact they have now gone four successive Copa America matches without scoring, while having to wait until the 72nd minute for their first attempt on goal today.

That is something they need to address quickly ahead of their crucial final Group A clash with Canada, in which a victory could still see them snatch second place and a quarter-final spot.

Lionel Messi believes that Valentin Carboni has the ability to follow in his footsteps as Argentina's next star following their 4-1 victory over Guatemala. 

Messi scored twice to take his international total to 108 goals as La Albiceleste concluded their Copa America preparations with a comfortable display in Maryland.

Argentina came from behind to secure the triumph after Lisandro Martinez's own-goal gave Guatemala their first-ever goal against their opponents inside the opening five minutes.

"It cost us the first few minutes, Messi began. "We faced a team that was well positioned at the back. It was an opponent that was difficult to get into, but we were able to find a way around," Messi began.

"It is going to be more and more difficult for us; nothing is going to be easy for us. But we're going to try again."

Argentina took the lead before half-time as Carboni was fouled inside the area by Nicolas Samayoa, with Lautaro Martinez stepping up to score his first of the evening. 

Carboni has impressed in Serie A with Monza this season, scoring two goals and providing four assists, resulting in his first senior call-up from Lionel Scaloni in March. 

The 19-year-old started his first game for Argentina in the win over Guatemala, and Messi believes he has a bright future on the international stage.

"He has a present and a great future; we have to take advantage of it," said Messi. "I had already seen him in the U-20 team, but now he has changed, he has improved a lot.

"The kid is very good, more educated and with a great quality. There are also others who are good and deserve to be seen."

La Albiceleste start their Copa America campaign on June 21 against Canada in Atlanta, hoping to secure a record 16th triumph at the competition. 

"We are going to give our best," Messi started."We continue to want to continue trying to win more things.

"It's not easy, the games are hard, locked, but we will seek to achieve more and more," Messi said.

Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez scored twice for Argentina as they concluded their Copa America preparations with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Guatemala. 

Argentina found themselves behind inside four minutes when Lisandro Martinez's own goal handed Guatemala their first-ever goal against La Albiceleste.

However, Messi, who was featuring for the 182nd time for his country, levelled the contest eight minutes later as goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen's poor clearance fell kindly into his path.

Lionel Scaloni's team were awarded a penalty just before half-time as Nicolas Samayoa fouled Valentin Carboni, with Martinez stepping from 12 yards to score. 

Messi and Martinez combined for Argentina's third goal, with the latter doubling his tally after he was picked out by his team-mate in the area.

Messi put the result beyond doubt late on, lofting the ball over Hagen after latching onto a fine pass from his former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate, Angel Di Maria. 

Argentina kick off their Group A campaign against Canada on June 21 before facing Chile and Peru in their quest to retain their Copa America title. 

Data Debrief: Messi and Martinez make light work of minnows

Guatemala were simply no match for their illustrious opponents at FedEx Field, managing only four attempts and getting none of those on target, mustering 0.18 expected goals.

Argentina finished with 3.07 xG, with Martinez (1.47) and Messi (1.3) responsible for the majority of that figure. Between them, they had 13 shots, nine more than Guatemala managed as a team.

Simone Inzaghi says he is "not worried" about Lautaro Martinez's future, with the Inter skipper yet to sign a new contract at San Siro.

The Argentina international, who is under contract until 2026, was the top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals, as the Nerazzurri claimed their 20th Scudetto after finishing 19 points clear of second-place Milan.

Inter are now under new ownership with American firm Oaktree completing their takeover of the club from Suning last week.

The future of Lautaro will be high on the agenda when Inzaghi meets with the new owners this week, with the skipper's salary demands reportedly delaying negotiations, but the head coach is confident the situation will be resolved.

"I am not worried because I know the club," he said. "Although the owners have changed, the directors have maintained continuity and will continue to do so."

Inter concluded a memorable campaign with a 2-2 draw at Verona on Sunday, with Marko Arnautovic's double securing a point, and Inzaghi saluted his players' efforts.

"We didn't hide ourselves this season," he said. "We said our objective was the second star. We wanted it so badly, knowing that the other four, five, or six contenders wanted the same. We were the best in Italy."

When asked if the Champions League was the club's main target next season, he added: "We know what it means to play so many games. We know it won't be easy, but we'll prepare in the best way."

Inter Milan go in search of the first of successive wins they need to wrap up the Serie A title on Sunday.

Cagliari are the visitors to San Siro and victory will mean Simone Inzaghi’s men can wrap up their first Scudetto in three years with a three-point return against their city rivals AC Milan in their following match on April 22.

Inter maintained their 14-point advantage over second-placed Milan on Monday, with Davide Frattesi’s late winner completing a come-from-behind victory at an Udinese side who had won just once at home all season.

Inzaghi had an eye on the remaining seven fixtures after that match when he said: “We’re playing clubs fighting against relegation or for the top spots… We can’t let our concentration slip.”

The Nerazzurri have won 12 and drawn one of their 13 matches since the turn of the year and have been beaten only once in the competition since the start of the season – a shock home loss to struggling Sassuolo in September the only blemish in an impressive campaign.

However, the leaders, who have scored in every match, will be without top goalscorer Lautaro Martinez against Cagliari because of suspension.

The Sardinians’ knack of picking up points from losing positions has aided their bid for survival.

Ten points from their last five matches have lifted Cagliari four points clear of the relegation zone as they bid to avoid an immediate return to the second tier of Italian football.

The last time they won this contest was in 2016 as two goals in the final 19 minutes turned the contest on its head against an Inter side who finished fourth, a distant 24 points behind champions Juventus.

However, Claudio Ranieri’s team are not at their best away from home in the current campaign.

They have picked up just seven points from their 15 games and netted a league-low nine goals on their travels.

Inter Milan and Napoli will both look to put Champions League disappointment behind them when they meet in Serie A on Sunday.

Napoli exited the competition in the last 16 on Tuesday, beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Barcelona, and a day later Inter lost out to Atletico Madrid on penalties following a 2-2 draw.

The result was a bitter pill to swallow for the runaway Serie A leaders, who were on a run of 13 consecutive victories in all competitions and had hoped to go one better than last season, when they were beaten in the Champions League final by Manchester City.

Inter went two up in the tie but Atletico fought back to level through Memphis Depay’s goal late in normal time and, after missed chances for Simone Inzaghi’s side in extra-time, they missed three of their five penalties, with Lautaro Martinez sending the final effort high over the bar.

Inter seem certain to lift silverware this season domestically, going into the weekend 16 points clear of nearest rivals AC Milan.

And Inzaghi said on the club website: “The lads have to be proud of what they’ve done. It’s normal to be disappointed, because it’s a shame when it comes down to penalties.

“Now we’ve got 10 Serie A matches we need to play well to try to reach that crucial goal of ours. We’ve got to try and recover physically and mentally to give it our best shot against the reigning champions. We’ll try and do our best.”

Napoli’s title defence has been distinctly underwhelming and they are sweating on the fitness of striker Victor Osimhen, who missed training for two days this week with a muscle problem.

They have not given up hope of forcing their way into the European places, with victory over Juventus earlier this month a much-needed boost, although they were then held at home by Torino.

Napoli are on their third manager of the season in Francesco Calzona, who was appointed until the end of the campaign last month and also holds the position of Slovakia coach.

He insisted he is not concerned about his future, saying on Sky Sports Italia: “Let’s think about the championship, there are many games and we have to cradle the dream of catching up with the teams that are ahead of us.

“It’s difficult, but mathematics doesn’t condemn us. As for me, my future is the last thing on my mind. The boys are working hard and giving me a lot, I think we’ve made a small step forward.”

Jan Oblak saved two penalties in a shoot-out as Atletico Madrid booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-2 win on penalties after they drew 2-2 with Inter Milan on aggregate.

Marko Arnautovic’s first-leg goal gave last year’s finalists a lead heading into the second leg at Civitas Metropolitano and they opened the scoring to double their aggregate lead just after the half-hour mark through Federico Dimarco.

Antoine Griezmann struck a couple of minutes later to bring the deficit back to one at the break but it was all Atletico following the interval.

Substitute Memphis Depay came to Atletico’s rescue with three minutes to spare, making it 2-1 on the night and level on aggregate just moments after hitting the post.

Neither side managed to find in a winner in extra time and Oblak saved penalties from Alexis Sanchez and Davy Klaasen before Lautaro Martinez blasted over to send Inter out.

Inter were in no mood to rest on their laurels as Hakan Calhanoglu set Denzel Dumfries before the Netherlands international worked his way inside the box and was twice denied by Oblak.

At the other end Mario Hermoso’s cross found Morata but he could only head at Yann Sommer.

Inter opened the scoring on the night in the 33rd minute when Nicolo Barella worked his way down the wing and cut back to Dimarco, who lashed home from inside the box.

Atletico were not behind for long and were on level terms a couple of minutes later as Koke lifted the ball back into the box, where it bounced into the path of Griezmann, who picked out the bottom corner.

Atletico’s tails were up following the equaliser and they could have gone into the half-time break level on aggregate when Griezmann unleashed on goal only for Benjamin Pavard to block and clear to safety.

Inter could have put the tie to bed with 15 minutes to go as a swift counter attack ended at the feet of Marcus Thuram, who ran through on goal but shot over the crossbar.

Atletico were still looking for the important goal that would bring them level and Angel Correa’s low cross found Depay, who turned but could not get enough contact to trouble Sommer.

Time was running out for the hosts who continued to probe and the woodwork saved Inter on this occasion when the ball popped out to Depay from 20 yards who rifled past a bystanding Sommer but onto the post.

A minute later, Atletico had their deserved aggregate equaliser as Koke’s defence-splitting pass found Depay, and this time he made no mistake to put them 2-1 up on the night.

Atletico had a chance to snatch it at the death as Griezmann picked out the onrushing Rodrigo Riquelme who blazed over the bar to send the match into extra time and subsequently the second penalty shoot-out of the round.

Inter were first to blink in the shoot-out when Sanchez saw his penalty saved by Oblak but opposite number Sommer repeated the feat to keep out Saul Niguez and, after Klaasen saw his penalty saved, Martinez blasted over to seal Inter’s fate.