News
TUE 16.07.2024
Argentina have written their name into the history books after winning the Copa America for the second time in a row, which, added to their victory at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, makes them the only team on the continent to win the 'Triple Crown' – three straight major tournament titles: the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America. Globally, only Spain, who were yesterday crowned European champions, have achieved a similar feat by winning two European Championships and a World Cup between 2008 and 2012.
Atlético de Madrid’s Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo De Paul won their second Copa América, with both playing an important role in the final. De Paul played the entire match, and full-back Nahuel Molina was a substitute, coming on after 72 minutes. De Paul has been the Albiceleste’s driving force in midfield throughout the competition, while Molina, who came into the tournament recovering from a muscle injury, showed signs of regaining the form that made him so integral to Argentina’s World Cup win two years ago.
De Paul and Molina will now have a three-week break before returning to work with Atlético de Madrid, where they are expected in the first days of August, just a week before they begin their journey in the 2024/25 LALIGA EA SPORTS season on 19 August against Villareal CF. They go down in club history as the fifth and sixth players to win the Copa America while at the club, following on from Baltazar (1989), Uruguayans Diego Godín and Diego Forlán (2011) and Argentine Ángel Correa (2021).
The city of Seville is also celebrating. With five players, it is the city with the most Euro 2024 and Copa America champions, with representatives from both sides of the derby divide.
Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña flew the flag for Sevilla FC; the latter has just rejoined Sevilla FC after a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, while Acuña watched the game from the bench while recovering from a muscle injury. Both players will now have a few days' holiday and will rejoin Sevilla FC in the final phase of the pre-season, most likely before they jet off on pre-season tour to Japan, and ahead of the first game against UD Las Palmas on 16 August.
Real Betis centre-back Germán Pezzella did not feature in the final and has experienced a reduced role in this summer’s tournament, playing just 83 minutes in the group match against Peru. Pezzella, 33, has played in all three of Argentina's back-to-back-to-back titles, and will after a short break be back in pre-season for Manuel Pellegrini’s side ahead of their LALIGA EA SPORTS opener against Girona FC on 15 August.
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