Alphonso Davies ‘Blessed’ to Swap Jersey With Messi for the Second Time After Copa America Opener

• Alphonso Davies and Lionel Messi shared a heartwarming moment together after the Copa America opener
• World champions Argentina strolled to a 2-0 victory over the North Americans at the Mercedes Benz Stadium
• Messi and his Argentina teammates are in the United States to defend the Copa America title they won in 2021

Canada captain Alphonso Davies says it is special to always swap jerseys with arguably the greatest footballer of all time Lionel Messi.

The Bayern Munich star led Canada in the 2024 Copa America opener against the world champions, with the North Americans suffering a 2-0 defeat despite putting up an impressive display.

Davies has often had the better of Messi in games involving Bayern Munich and Barcelona during the Argentine’s days in Europe, including a famous 8-2 UEFA Champions League victory for the Germans.

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The Canadian first swapped jerseys with Messi after a game between Bayern Munich and PSG after failing to get his jersey following the 8-2 mauling in August 2020.

However, this time it was an easier exchange as Messi’s Argentina got off to a winning start in the defence of the Copa America title.

In a video shared on social media, Davies and Messi were spotted having a friendly moment after the match as the duo swapped shirts.

“It’s always special to get a shirt from Messi. He is the best player in the world. Being on the pitch and playing against him is truly a blessing,” Davies said in a post-match interview after the game.

Canada will next face Peru while Argentina engages Chile in Group A of the Copa America.

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Argentina beat Canada in Copa America opener

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that World champions Argentina opened their bid for back-to-back Copa America titles with a 2-0 win over Canada in front of a crowd of 70,564 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday.

Julian Alvarez put Argentina ahead in the 49th minute but a combination of inspired goalkeeping from Canada’s Max Crepeau and Lionel Messi’s surprising lack of precision in front of goal ensured that the underdogs were in the game until Lautaro Martinez settled the contest in the 88th minute.

Backed by a huge support decked out in light blue and white striped shirts, Argentina fully deserved their victory but Canada, ranked 48th in the world, can take plenty of credit for the way they fought with the 15-time Copa America winners.