New Jersey, June 24 (EFE).- Lionel Messi turns 37 this Monday and has more games than anyone in the history of the Copa América. Claudio Bravo, at 41, has just become the oldest goalkeeper in the 108 years of the tournament. Essential for their teams, both show that age is just a number.

Messi and Bravo face the seventh Copa América, more than anyone else in their respective teams and just one of the record shared by the Ecuadorian Alex Aguinaga and the Uruguayan Ángel Romano, which has led them to be two of the great protagonists of South American football this year. century.

Teammates at Barcelona for three years, Bravo has never hidden his admiration for the Argentine captain as he detailed a couple of years ago, when speaking on TNT sports about the final stretch of Messi’s career.

“Leo may not be physically there, but his talent is not going to diminish. That’s like being touched with a wand. You send him on vacation, he’s away for two months, you put him to play and he’s going to play the same way.” way. The talent he has is something unique. I, at that level, have not seen it. I have seen players who can come close, like Iniesta, or Xavi, but from another position.”

Claudio Bravo denied Leo Messi two titles. Two Copa América, in 2015 and 2016, in which the performance of the Chilean goalkeeper was decisive both during the matches and in the penalty shoot-outs and not only that; In the last six occasions in which their teams faced each other with both on the field, only twice did Argentina emerge victorious.

It is a rivalry that has lasted for 17 years, since May 5, 2007, when Messi faced Bravo for the first time with a 0-2 victory for Barça in Anoeta and goals from Andrés Iniesta and Samuel Eto, according to data from Besoccer pro for the EFE Agency.

In more than three decades, the Chilean goalkeeper and the Argentine striker have faced each other 20 times. Messi scored 17 goals in those twenty games, but only 15 against Bravo, given that the Chilean was sent off in the 53rd minute of Barcelona-Manchester City, on October 19, 2016, and it was the Argentine Willy Caballero who scored the others. two goals from ‘La Pulga’.

There were seven games in which he did not score, but he has done so in his last 5 games.

Now, the two face each other again in what is supposed to be their last Copa América. For both of them it is a special moment. Messi wants his second trophy in this tournament. Claudio Bravo, after leaving Betis on June 30, ponders how much to prolong his career and his decision may be linked to how he feels in the United States.

– The 20 confrontations between Messi and Claudio Bravo

.1.- Real Sociedad 0 – Barcelona 2 (5-5-2007)

.2.- Argentina 2 – Chile 2 (13-10-2007)

.3.- Chile 1 – Argentina 0 (16-10-2008)

.4.- Barcelona 5 – Real Sociedad 0 (12-12-2010) 2 goals from Messi

.5.- Real Sociedad 2 – Barcelona 1 (4-30-2011)

.6.- Real Sociedad 2 – Barcelona 2 (10-92011)

.7.- Argentina 4 – Chile 1 (8-10-2011) 1 goal from Messi

.8.- Barcelona 2 – Real Sociedad 1 (4-2-2012) 1 goal from Messi

.9.- Barcelona 5 – Real Sociedad 1 (8-19-2012) 2 goals from Messi

10. Real Sociedad 3 – Barcelona 2 (19-1-2013) 1 goal from Messi

11. Barcelona 4 – Real Sociedad 1 (9-24-2013) 1 goal from Messi

12. Real Sociedad 3 – Barcelona 1 (2-22-2014) 1 goal from Messi

13. Chile 0 – Argentina 0 (4-7-2015)

14. Chile 1 – Argentina 2 (3-25-2016) 1 goal from Messi

15. Chile 0 – Argentina 0 (27-6-2016)

16. Barcelona 4 – Manchester City 0 (10-19-2016). 1 goal from Messi to Bravo (sent off in the 53rd minute) and 2 to Willy Caballero

17. Argentina 1 – Chile 0 (10-24-2017) 1 goal from Messi

18. Barcelona 5 – Betis 2 (7-11-2020) 2 goals by Messi

19. Argentina 1 – Chile 1 (4-6-2021) 1 goal from Messi

20. Chile 1 – Argentina 1 (6-14-2021) 1 goal from Messi.