Sport
Finalissima Trophy: Messi-led Argentina beats Italy 3-0
Argentina made an early statement ahead of the World Cup by winning the UEFA/CONMEBOL Finalissima at Wembley with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Italy.
Despite the fact that Italy did not qualify for Qatar 2022, few anticipated the European champions to be so thoroughly humiliated by the Copa America 2021 victors.
Much of the attention in the build-up to the game was on Giorgio Chiellini, but the final game of his illustrious international career finished with Argentina leading 2-0 at halftime, thanks to goals from Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria.
Italy managed to keep Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria from increasing the tally, but Paulo Dybala scored their third goal with the game’s final kick, after a typical solo run and assist from the irrepressible Messi.
Messi’s performance at new club Paris Saint-Germain was criticised, and he was even booed at one point, yet the season that began with a Copa America title ended with Finalissima glory. After years of striving, Messi was finally able to raise another trophy with Argentina, following in the footsteps of Maradona in 1993.