A review of the Copa America 2021

The 2021 edition of the Copa America came to an end this weekend as Argentina beat Brazil to lift the trophy.

A brilliant dinked finish from Angel di Maria denied the Brazilians from retaining the title they won in 2019 and ended an entertaining tournament in style.

Here are some of the best moments and individual achievements from past the month of action.

Player of the tournament – Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Although many would have predicted the 34-year-old to get this prize, Messi never fails to amaze fans with his ability. He finished as the tournament’s top goal scorer (4) and top assist provider (5) on his way to lifting his first trophy for his country.

The Barcelona winger broke six Copa America records during this tournament including most assists provided in a single tournament and most man of the match awards in a single tournament (4). He also tied Sergio Livingstone’s record of most Copa America games played, making 34 appearances in the competition’s history.

His performances have put him in a strong position to win this year’s Ballon d’Or after a very impressive first half of the year.

Young player of the tournament – Luis Diaz (Colombia)

His performance against Argentina was vital in taking the game to penalties as not only did he score the equaliser but his dribbling and ball retention frustrated the opponents in a Neymar-like display.

His competition ended on a high as his brace against Peru, which included a 94th-minute winner, secured a third-place finish for Colombia in the tournament, their joint-best finish since winning the title in 2001. His two goals in this game put him level on goal with top-scorer Messi.

Game of the tournament- Peru vs Paraguay

Gustavo Gomez opened the scoring for Paraguay before scoring an own goal to tie up the game. His game was then over before half-time as he picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, capping off a thrilling first half. The second 45 had three goals, including a 90th-minute equaliser, and another red card.

The shootout was won 4-3 by Peru as five of the spot-kicks were missed or saved before St. Etienne defender Miguel Trauco scored the winning penalty.

Goal of the tournament – Lucas Paqueta (Brazil)

There were a lot of contenders for the goal of the tournament such as the previously mentioned bicycle kick by Luis Diaz and Messi’s freekick against Chile.

Lucas Paqueta’s goal against Peru might have been a simple finish but the skill from Neymar to create the chance was nothing short of remarkable.

Throughout the game, both Ligue 1 stars were combining well with flair, which proved difficult to stop and easy to watch. Neymar’s close control and dribbling ability was on show as he retained the ball despite being marked by three players before nutmegging the Peruvian defender and finding Paqueta wide open in the box. It was Brazilian flair in full flow.

Best moments

There were two great moments for fans to watch after the final whistle blew at the Maracana and Albiceleste secured the title.

The first was the reaction from the Argentine player when the whistle blew as they all made their way to an emotional Messi. It was the first time their captain won a trophy for his country and it was clear they knew how important it was for him as they all sprinted towards him.

In contrast, Neymar was heartbroken at full-time. He was not in the squad when Brazil won the competition in 2019 and this was his opportunity to win it on home soil. Messi and Neymar embraced in a long hug during celebrations the pair exchanged words, with the former knowing all too well how the Brazilian felt.

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