Copa Centenario News Today

When Peru meet Australia on Monday for a place in Qatar, they will be favourites. But just a few years ago, that would have barely seemed credible.

Some people are making a fuss about the fact that Lionel Messi has 76 goals for Argentina, just one fewer than Pele’s total for Brazil, which is the record for South American male players. Others are making a fuss about the prospect of Copa America glory propelling Messi to another world player of the year award. The man himself, however, is unlikely to be concerned with either topic. Messi has only ever seen individual awards as the consequence of successful work in a collective context. It ...