The stage is set for a massive Copa America 2021 final between two South American giants such as Argentina and Brazil in a new edition of one of soccer's greatest rivalries. However, the excitement is even higher as two of the best players on the planet will face off, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The 34-year-old superstar will be looking for a highly desired prize with La Albiceleste to end a long drought, while the PSG figure seeks the title to redeem himself in the Copa America. It's been a while, but these two will face each other again.
Messi and Neymar have met on the field as rivals before, but this will be the biggest game in which they'll do it thus far, with a huge trophy on the line. Here, check out how many times they've faced before and how they've performed.
Lionel Messi vs. Neymar in club competition
Curiously, they have only faced each other once in a club competition. What's even more surprising is that they haven't met in a Champions League duel with Barcelona and PSG, but they did so in a Club World Cup final about ten years ago.
That game took place in 2011 when Neymar was making his first - but impressive - first steps with Santos, who won that year's Copa Libertadores. Messi, meanwhile, already was a world-renowned player that tasted European success only a few months earlier under Pep Guardiola's tenure. Barca comfortably won that game 4-0 with a brace from Messi and claimed the Club World Cup title.
Lionel Messi vs. Neymar in international soccer
However, Messi and Neymar clashed a few more times in international games with their respective national teams. Their first game against each other came in 2010, with the Barca legend scoring a last-gasp winner to seal Argentina's 1-0 win over Brazil in a friendly.
In 2012, they've met again for a friendly, and Messi's side claimed the victory again thanks to his impressive hat-trick in a 4-3 thriller. Two years later, Brazil and Argentina once again clashed in a friendly but this time Dunga's boys won, giving Neymar his first triumph over Messi, who missed a penalty.
The last match between each other took place in 2016 for the World Cup Qualifying, in which Neymar scored his first goal playing against Messi to help Brazil punishing 3-0 Argentina. It's been a long time, but the former Barca teammates will finally face off again with the Copa America 2021 trophy at stake.
