Messi and Bravo to meet in Copa America final

New Jersey is to play host to the 2016 Copa America final which will see Argentina and Chile go head-to-head for the big prize, just as they did last year.

From an FC Barcelona perspective, Leo Messi and Javier Mascherano are set to do battle with their good Claudio Bravo.

The mercurial no.10 has been in stunning form throughout the tournament, scoring five goals and making two assists, as well as being named MVP in three matches. His latest exploits came in the 4-0 semi-final win over host nation United States, where he scored a superb free-kick and made two assists.

Messi’s next challenge is to get the better of club teammate and Chile goalkeeper Bravo, who has been in fine form in his own right so far this tournament.

The road to the final

The first game saw the two sides face each other, with Argentina winning 2-1. Panama and Bolivia were the next two opponents for either team: Argentina won 5-0 and 3-0, while Chile won 4-2 and 2-1, both respectively.

In the quarters, Argentina cruised to a 4-1 win over Venezuela before the recent 4-0 semi-final win over the US. Chile got to the final by first beating Mexico with a whopping 7-0 scoreline before a 2-0 win against a strong Colombian outfit.