In their second appearance at MetLife Stadium for the 2024 Copa América, Argentina earned their second win at the venue, defeating Canada by a score of 2-0 in the semi-finals to secure their spot in the championship game. Now, they are set to face off against Colombia on Sunday, July 14, to determine the tournament’s next winner.
The defending champs, who had already picked up a victory in East Rutherford after defeating Chile in the group stages a few months prior, continued their winning ways in the stadium. The match, which drew over 80,000 fans, largely thanks to the star power on the field, with the likes of Lionel Messi and Alphonso Davies playing.
With a nearly sold-out crowd at MetLife Stadium to watch this game occur, many fans left with the satisfaction of watching Messi score a goal for Argentina in what may be one of his last international games in the United States.
In the 50th minute, with Argentina already ahead 1-0, thanks to a goal from Julián Álvarez, Messi’s deflection found the goal, all but securing Argentina’s spot in the Copa América finals. While Messi has expressed his desire to continue playing for Argentina beyond the Copa América, it’s unclear whether or not he will still be on the team when the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to the Meadowlands. If this was his last appearance in East Rutherford, he made sure it was a memorable one for the fans.
Argentina’s victory over Canada in the semifinals officially signified the end of MetLife Stadium’s run hosting a handful of the tournament’s games. Over the span of three games, around 210,000 fans flocked to East Rutherford to watch the matches take place. The matches helped to serve as a trial of what the 2026 World Cup will look like when MetLife Stadium hosts.
As Argentina heads to the Copa América finals, they are currently favorites to defeat Colombia, as they have been for their entire run throughout the tournament. Argentina’s dominance over the past few weeks has made it evident why they were able to win the FIFA World Cup in 2022, going undefeated in the group stages and winning both their quarterfinal and semifinal matches.