All posts tagged: Copa America

‘I know their players and philosophy very well’

‘I know their players and philosophy very well’

Published by Webster

3 min readJul 16, 2026 09:29 AM IST For the first time in history, the reigning Copa America winners will take on the defending European champions in a World Cup final. The possibility of a Spain versus Argentina final had partially disappeared when England opened the scoring in the semi-final against the reigning world champions, until Lionel Messi & Co. hit a frenetic gear late on Wednesday night in Atlanta. Messi’s sparkling movement powered Argentina back from the brink yet again as Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez converted the assists from their captain to etch a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Three Lions. Entering a record-equalling third final, Messi will face Spain for the first time in his World Cup career, a country that forged his genius for the better part of the last two decades. ALSO READ | King of World Cup knockouts: All records Messi broke in ARG vs ENG semifinal Speaking after the win over England, Messi hailed Spain’s unique style of football. The FC Barcelona legend also revealed that he continues …

At 38, Messi has stopped running. That is what makes him impossible to stop

At 38, Messi has stopped running. That is what makes him impossible to stop

Published by Webster

Lionel Messi scored zero World Cup goals at 23. He has scored 19 in six tournaments since then. Something about the conventional story of athletic decline does not apply to him. The question worth asking is not how long he can keep going. It is why he keeps getting better. Against Austria, he missed a ninth-minute penalty, then scored twice to break Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup record. He then came off the bench against Jordan to ping in a free kick. Watch the record-breaking goal against Austria. Messi receives wide, near the touchline, with two Austrian defenders close. He does not dribble or run, playing it first time to the other side of the pitch, creating a four versus two, already moving to the near post before the ball leaves his foot. Every defender in that block had already shifted towards him. That fear created the space on the other side. Messi standing still in the right place is the most dangerous thing happening on a football pitch. Most players run and then deal …

Staring at the unthinkable: Brazil’s plight in World Cup qualification points to the rot that entered its footballing soul long ago | Football News

Published by Webster

Brazil’s latest coach Dorival Junior has waged several battles for survival. As a journeyman defensive midfielder, he turned up for 13 different clubs in 16 years; his 25 years as manager has been scattered across 23 clubs. In between, he outlasted cancer. Yet, his biggest fight for survival could yet to be, as the coach of the most successful football country in the world, a journey intertwined with Brazil’s fate in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The burden on his broad shoulders is inhuman, a crushing weight no other coach in his country has shouldered. It is not to lift the World Cup, a load most coaches in Brazil’s history had to drag, but to qualify for the World Cup. A bloated tournament — a leap from 32 to 48 — could allay some anxiety. Brazil can’t be that bad. ain’t they? But the eventuality of the world’s most decorated football country, the breathing soul of the game for the romantics, missing out on the tournament is not just a lurid fever dream, but …