Lionel Messi leaves Paqueta on floor with brutal tackle in Copa America final
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Lionel Messi proved he is hungrier than ever by nailing Brazil's Lucas Paqueta in the Copa America final.
Messi, regarded by many as the greatest player on the planet, is not particularly known for his tackling.
But his desire to win the Copa America this summer was showcased when he lunged into a tackle on Paqueta – and came away with the ball.
Messi came into the Copa America final having never won a major tournament with Argentina and has long been desperate to put it right.
The forward, who is currently a free agent after his Barcelona contract expired, saw an opportunity to pounce as Paqueta kept the ball from Angel Di Maria.
Running in from 10 yards away, Messi lunged into the tackle, but did so fairly.
As both Paqueta and Di Maria were left sprawled on the floor, Messi jumped up with the ball at his feet, creating a golden chance for Argentina to build an attack.
Argentina had taken a 1-0 lead just 10 minutes earlier through Di Maria.
The PSG star took advantage of an error by Rodrigo De Paul to lob the ball over Brazil goalkeeper Ederson.
Ahead of the final, Messi was taunted by his close friend Neymar, who is playing for Brazil in the Copa America final, by saying that their friendship is 'on the line'.
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"Messi is, as I've always said, the best player I've ever seen play and he's a great friend, but now we're in a final, we're rivals," said Neymar.
"I want to win and I really want to win this title, which would be my first Copa America.
"Messi has been looking for his first title with the national team for many years, and every time we [Brazil] are not present at the tournament, I cheered for him. That's what I've been cheering for in the 2014 World Cup final, when he faced Germany.
"Now Brazil is in the dispute, so our friendship is on the line. The respect between us is still great but only one can win.
"When you're friends with someone, it's hard to forget the friendship you have – but for example when you play video games with a friend, you want to beat him anyway. It'll be the same thing on Saturday."
- Lionel Messi
- Neymar
- World Cup
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