Lionel Messi's Argentina, holder of the Copa America, easily won the gala duel against the Italian champions of Europe (3-0), Wednesday in London, depriving Giorgio Chiellini of a good conclusion for his 117th and last appearance in Azzurro.
“Chiello” would have hoped for a stage exit more up to his service record.
But the 37-year-old Italian veteran has shown his age in the face of the technique and liveliness of the Argentine attackers, who did not come to give him gifts for his retirement.
On the first goal, the captain azzurro was beaten in vivacity by Lautaro Martinez, forgotten in the six meters after a decisive kidney blow from Messi on the left (28th).
On the second, he was beaten in the race by Di Maria launched in the axis (45th + 1).
And he did not reappear after the break, definitively leaving the Nazionale for a one-sided second half in favor of Argentina, totally dominating.
Italy appeared in the image of its tossed captain: never able to match the Albiceleste.
Argentina won for the second time - in three editions - this intercontinental trophy after its success in 1993 against Denmark (1-1 ap, 5 shots on goal to 4).
France had won the first edition in 1985 against Uruguay (2-0).
Reply to Mbappe
Lionel Scaloni's team, undefeated for 32 consecutive matches, has been full of confidence less than six months before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (November 21-December 18) where it will meet Saudi Arabia, Mexico in the first round. and Poland.
By dominating the European champions, even very pale compared to the team which had seduced during Euro 2020, Messi and his partners give a small answer to Kylian Mbappé.
The star striker of the Blues had annoyed some Argentinians by considering that South American football was
"not as advanced"
as that of the Old Continent, for lack of being able, for its players, to play
"high level matches all the time »
.
On the lawn of Wembley, less than a year after the “Magic Nights” concluded with a coronation against England, it is however the European champion who has been exceeded, apart from a fairly balanced first half hour. .
Morale still damaged by the fiasco of the play-off lost against North Macedonia (0-1), in March, which deprived it of the World Cup for the second time in a row, Roberto Mancini's Nazionale ran after the ball, without ideas and without legs.
question marks
Gianluigi Donnarumma was reduced to doing what he could in the second half to prevent Argentina from scoring two or three more goals, which might not have been usurped.
“Gigio” notably had the right to
“personal training”
offered by his teammates this season at Paris SG, Di Maria (60th, 62nd) and Messi (65th, 67th, 69th).
The doorman, best player of the Euro last summer, also avoided a goal-gag by nothing by stopping just in front of his line a missed back pass from Bonucci (56th).
He finally lost again, for 3-0, only in additional time on a strike from the returning Paulo Dybala (90th + 4).
An evening to forget for Roberto Mancini and his players, the enchanted parenthesis of the Euro being well and truly closed.
After this gala evening, the coach who remained in charge despite the Macedonian fiasco will launch a new reconstruction from Saturday against Germany, in Bologna, in the League of Nations.
Without Chiellini, but with capital question marks.