Lionel Messi’s through ball led to Julian Alvarez’s goal in the 49th minute, then he assisted on Lautaro Martinez’s goal in the 88th as Argentina began the defense of its Copa America title with a 2-0 victory over Canada on Thursday night.
Argentina is seeking its third straight major title after winning the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup.
With South America’s championship moved to the United States for the second time, Messi set a Copa America record with his 35th match, one more than Chile’s Sergio Livingstone from 1941-53. Messi extended his own record with his 18th assist.