Argentina has been crowned champions of Copa America after Angel Di Maria’s strike secured a final victory for the Albiceleste in the penultimate game of the tournament. The Argentines defeated eternal rivals, Brazil in the finals at the Maracanã stadium in Rio to lift the trophy.

The atmosphere was tensed immediately the referee blew his whistle to signal the start of first half. In the 21^st minute of the game, Di Maria latched onto a pass and lobbed the ball over the oncoming Brazilian goalkeeper who watched in disbelief as the ball swiftly found itself at the back of the net.

Although the Samba boys threatened with successive counter-attacks, including scoring a disallowed goal, the match ended 1 – 0 in favor of Argentina.

Lionel Messi was exceptional during the competition, scoring five [5] goals and registering four [4] assists on their way to the final. The win against Brazil allowed the Barca captain to lift a first major International trophy for his country.

Argentina is the 2021 Copa America Champions.