Copa America: Lionel Messi is worried about contracting COVID-19

Argentina star Lionel Messi stated on Sunday that he is concerned about getting COVID-19, a day before the national team starts another Copa America tournament amid a wave of illnesses among rival teams. Even before the South American competition began on Sunday evening in Brasilia, players or officials from Bolivia, Colombia, and Venezuela tested positive for the virus.

Argentina’s first match is against Chile in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, and Messi stated the worry of acquiring the virus was common among the group. “It worries us because it is a risk for everyone catching COVID, we try to be careful but it’s not easy. These things happen. We’ll try to do all we can so no one gets it but sometimes it doesn’t depend solely on ourselves,” he told reporters.

Even though the South American Football Confederation declared in April that it had received immunizations and planned to give all international players shots before the Copa America began, Messi is not known to have been vaccinated. Argentina was supposed to host the Copa America this year but withdrew at the last minute owing to an outbreak of COVID-19. Even though the mortality toll in Brazil is higher than everywhere else outside of the United States, the competition was shifted there.

Even though officials claim to have implemented tight processes, Venezuela lost eight players to positive tests before the tournament’s first match against Brazil. The inexperienced Venezuelans were defeated 3-0 by the host nation, with goals from Marquinhos, Neymar, and Gabriel Barbosa.

Brazil won the tournament two years ago, defeating Argentina in a controversial semi-final, and Messi expressed his desire to finally emulate his club success at the international level.

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