Inspired by Lionel Messi's assists, Argentina's players pushed their superstar teammate in the air after he guided them to a second title in a year. National team success is finally coming on the way of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, late in his trophy-filled club career. Messi was rewarded with the Man of the Match award of La Finalissima.
Argentina lifted the first Finalissima trophy on Wednesday by thrashing Italy 3-0 in a South American and European champions meeting. Messi guided Argentina to win the Copa America last July for his maiden major title with the national team. And judging by the two assists on his record-extending 161st Argentina appearance, the 34-year-old Messi is far away from slowing down with yet another opportunity to win his maiden World Cup title later this year.
"What we experienced here was beautiful. We knew it would be a nice game and a nice setting in which to be champions," Messi said. The opener was caused by Messi's solo brilliance taking him past Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and the Argentina captain squared for Lautaro Martínez to past slot goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 28th minute.
Martínez grabbed the chances next as he turned creator in first-half stoppage time by threading a pass-through for Ángel Di María to chip Donnarumma, having got past Giorgio Chiellini. The 37-year-old Italy skipper came off at halftime of his 117th and final international appearance.
The win was wrapped up in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with Messi gaining possession on the halfway line and rampaging to the edge of the penalty area. He evaded Di Lorenzo's challenge to set up the substitute Paulo Dybala to strike low into the net.
After the 2011 Champions League win with Barcelona over Manchester United, it sealed a second trophy success at Wembley for Messi. As they celebrated on the Wembley field, the Argentines threw Messi before catching him. It was a painful return for the Italians to Wembley Stadium, where they won Euro 2020 last year and as they face up to a second successive failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Argentina will head to Qatar in November for another trophy — one created as part of a UEFA-CONMEBOL partnership that challenges the global supremacy of FIFA. The choice of London as the location for the game was vindicated by more than 87,000 packing into Wembley, with UEFA picking the stadium despite the unrest at the Euro 2020 final caused by England fans.
