Messi will play against Canada in the Copa America semi-final on Tuesday

NEW YORK (AP) — Lionel Messi will not be held back by a foot injury and will play in Argentina’s Copa America semifinal against Canada on Tuesday night.

Messi has been dealing with a right foot problem since the 1-0 group stage win against Chile on June 25. He missed the first-round final four days later but played the entire match in the quarter-final win over Ecuador last Thursday. Argentina and Ecuador were tied 1-1 after regulation time. Argentina then won 4-2 on penalties.

“Leo is good. He will play tomorrow,” Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed Monday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

At 37, Messi has 13 Copa America goals and is four behind the record shared by Argentina’s Norberto Méndez and Brazil’s Zizinho, but has not scored at this year’s tournament.

“It’s an easy decision for me,” Scaloni said. “It’s a pretty honest decision: I ask him how he feels. If he says ‘I’m not good’ then he’ll play the last 30 minutes. When he’s available, he’ll play.”

In pursuit of a record 16th Copa America title, Argentina beat surprise Canada 2-0 in their tournament opener on 20 June as Messi set up second-half goals from Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez.

“We didn’t do well enough with Messi last game. He was able to run free to our goalie,” said Jesse Marsch, the American hired as Canada’s coach in May. “We all know he’s the greatest player to ever play the game.”

Argentina outshot Canada 19-10, including 9-2 on goal, and had 64 percent possession.

“It’s more of (an) advantage that we were able to play against them than it was for them to play against us,” Marsch said.

Both teams are coming off quarterfinal shootout wins. North American guest Canada defeated Venezuela 4-3 on penalties after the teams were tied 1-1 after regulation time.

In the other semifinal, Uruguay plays Colombia on Wednesday night in Charlotte, NC. The championship is Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Argentina will have four days of rest, one more than Canada, but both teams are coming off tough 90-minute games. The rules of the tournament state that overtime is only used if needed in the final.

Argentina are looking to win their third major title after the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup and equal the feat of Spain, who won the European Championship in 2008 and ’12 along with the 2010 World Cup. The Albiceleste are tied with Uruguay for the most many Copa America titles with 15.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has won four consecutive strikes, against Colombia in the semi-finals of the 2021 Cup, against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and against France in the final, then against Ecuador last week.

Martinez, 6-foot-5, constantly shuffling his feet and a chatter trying to distract opponents, saved eight of 18 shots, stopping Colombians Davinson Sánchez, Yerry Mina and Edwin Cardona; Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis from the Netherlands; Kingsley Coman of France; and Ángel Mena and Alan Minda from Ecuador.

Canada was eliminated in the group stages of its only World Cup appearances in 1986 and 2022. It won the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup after winning the title of a predecessor tournament, the 1985 CONCACAF Championship.

“We’re playing against the best team in the world,” said Cyle Larin, Canada’s career scoring leader with 29 goals. “We have a lot of speed and power, but I think those days when we were together we grew.”

— AP Sports Writer Eric Núñez in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributed to this report

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AP Copa America coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america

Ronald Blum, Associated Press