Watch this soccer fan’s happy tears over a ticket to see Lionel Messi
Amy Marquez cries happy tears when her aunt, Katherine Ramirez, surprises her with a ticket to see soccer star Lionel Messi play against El Salvador.
USA Today
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey – Lionel Messi and Argentina return to action during Copa América 2024 against Chile tonight at MetLife Stadium.
It’ll be the second match for both teams in Group A play, but a rematch of the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals.
Argentine fans descended on Times Square in New York City and the team’s hotel in New Jersey to celebrate Messi’s 37th birthday on Monday night.
Here’s what you need to know as USA TODAY Sports provides live updates from the Argentina vs. Chile Copa América match:
What time is Argentina vs. Chile Copa América match?
Argentina and Chile will kickoff at 9 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. in Argentina.
How to watch Argentina vs. Chile live stream?
Argentina vs. Chile will broadcast on FS1 (in English) or TUDN and Univision (in Spanish).
Will Lionel Messi play?
Yes. Messi is expected to start and play in Argentina’s match against Chile.
Argentina vs. Chile Copa América odds
Argentina has -225 odds to win, while a draw has +310 odds, and a Chile upset holds +675. The over/under is 2.5 goals, according to BETMGM.
Argentina fans celebrate Messi’s birthday
Messi smiled and waved outside a hotel window to greet adoring fans on his 37th birthday Monday, in a celebration spanning from Times Square in New York City to the Argentine national team’s hotel in New Jersey.
Argentine fans wearing white and sky blue flooded the streets of Times Square on Monday afternoon – dancing, jumping and signing “Soy Argentino, Es un sentimiento, Que no puedo parar. (I am Argentine. It’s a feeling that I cannot stop).”
About 20 miles away at the Hilton Short Hills on Monday night, fans parked at a nearby mall and waited for hours to see Messi and several of his teammates, before staff members served two large sheets of dulce de leche cake, an Argentine favorite.
Read more about Argentina’s fans before Tuesday’s match.
Argentina wins Copa América opener, while Chile plays to draw
Messi waited until the 88th minute to leave his mark in the Copa América 2024 opener. He delivered an assist to Lautaro Martinez, while Julián Álvarez scored shortly after halftime to help Argentina beat Canada 2-0 last Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Chile and Peru played to a scoreless draw last Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Argentina vs. Chile Copa América history
Argentina and Chile have won three of the last five Copa América tournaments.
Argentina’s win came in 2011, setting the stage for its 2022 World Cup title run.
But Argentina endured losses to Chile at the Copa América finals in 2015 and 2016 – the latter causing Messi to briefly retire from the national team.