Lionel Messi put his penalty-kick over the crossbar, grabbed his shirt, clenched his teeth and covered his face with both hands.
A few minutes later he walked off the field, a dazed, pained look on his bearded face. The greatest player of his generation, perhaps soccer’s best ever, he was still without a title on Argentina’s national team — one he says might never come.
“The national team is over for me,” he told Argentine network TyC Sports after Chile beat the Albiceleste on Sunday night for the Copa America title. “It’s been four finals. It’s not meant for me. I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over.”
Photo: Adam Hunger, USA TODAY
Chile beat Argentina in the final for the second straight year, 4-2 in a shoot-out following a 0-0 tie that ended an expanded 16-nation Copa in the US to mark the championship’s 100th anniversary.
Messi, five-time FIFA Player of the Year, winner of four Champions League titles and eight Spanish La Liga crowns with Barcelona, was crushed. Much of his nation had counted on him and the top-ranked Albiceleste to bring home the nation’s first major title since 1993.
Playing two days after his 29th birthday, Messi lost a final for the third year in a row and the fourth time overall with Argentina. There was also the 2007 Copa America final against Brazil, when he was still a wunderkind, and then an extra-time loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup.
Considered alongside Brazil’s Pele and Argentina’s Diego Maradona as the sport’s greatest, Messi won the titles at the under-20 and Olympic (under-23) levels for Argentina. However, in the minds of many, he needs a championship with the senior national team to solidify his place in history.
Francisco Silva converted the shoot-out finale after goalkeeper Claudio Bravo made a diving stop on Lucas Biglia’s attempt.
On an ill-tempered evening that included a first-half ejection on each side and eight yellow cards, the game was scoreless through regulation and 30 minutes of extra time, with Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain missing a clear goal-scoring opportunity for the third straight final.
Argentina outshot Chile 16-4, as La Roja collapsed three, four and even five defenders around Messi, then chopped down the diminutive attacker when he tried to accelerate toward the goal.
Messi, who scored five goals in the tournament, sent a free-kick that Sergio Aguero nearly headed in 10 minutes into extra time, only to have Bravo jump and extend his right hand to tip the ball over the crossbar. Messi’s free-kick in extra time went off the wall.
Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved the opening kick by Arturo Vidal, and up stepped Messi, Argentina’s captain and career scoring leader with 55 goals. He sent his shot into the stands, stunning himself, both teams and the crowd.
Nicolas Castillo and Charles Aranguiz converted their kicks for Chile, while Javier Mascherano and Aguero made theirs, leaving the teams tied 2-2 after three rounds.
Jean Beausejour put Chile ahead and Bravo dived to his right, saving Biglia’s shot and bringing up Silva, a 30-year-old midfielder.
Messi briefly pulled his jersey over his face, as if not wanting to watch. Romero dived to his left and the shot went in to his right, giving Chile another title.
Messi crouched over, as if in pain, then got up, took off his captain’s armband and walked to the bench, where he was consoled by teammate Angel Di Maria.
When new FIFA president Gianni Infantino gave Messi a pat on the back when Messi got on the podium with his teammates for his second-place medal, he almost immediately took it off.
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