Footage emerges of Lionel Messi's inspiring dressing room speech before Copa America triumph, it's a side of him you don't see
Footage has emerged of Lionel Messi giving an inspiring dressing room speech to his Argentina teammates ahead of their historic victory over Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final.
Messi claimed his first major international trophy last summer, with Argentina beating rivals Brazil 1-0 at the iconic Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
As well as being Messi's maiden trophy with his national side, it was also the first time that Argentina had won the competition since 1993.
Juventus star Angel Di Maria was the hero, scoring the winning goal midway through the first half to seal a famous victory.
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It capped a remarkable journey for Argentina, who were initially meant to host the tournament before it was moved to Brazil because of COVID-19 issues.
An upcoming Netflix documentary, titled 'Be Eternal: Champions of America', covers Argentina's tournament and features interviews with several players, including Messi.
Meanwhile, in the trailer - which you can watch below - the Paris Saint-Germain star can be seen giving a passionate speech to his Argentina teammates as they prepare to face Brazil.
"Forty-five days without seeing the family and the kids," said Messi.
"We had a goal and we are one step away from achieving it.
"There is no coincidence. This Cup was to be played in Argentina and god brought it here to make it more beautiful for everyone.
"Let's go out confident and calm and we'll take this one home."
Messi will hope to have more international success with Argentina at the winter World Cup in Qatar, which gets underway on November 20.
He has never won football's biggest tournament, coming closest in 2014 when Argentina were narrowly beaten by Germany in the final in Brazil.
Argentina head into the upcoming World Cup as one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Lionel Scaloni's side face Saudi Arabia in their opening group match on November 22.
They will then take on Mexico on November 26 before playing their final group game against Poland on November 30.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Football, Copa America, Brazil
Rory O'Callaghan