Acuna is fouled by Casemiro on the left flank. Argentina can take further time off the clock. They're within touching distance.
90' +1
Argentina are doing their utmost to take every second off the clock. They're almost over the line.
90'
There will be five minutes of added time.
Casemiro sends a deep cross into the Argentina box, but he sends it too far and out for a goal-kick. Time is running out for the Selecao.
89'
G. Montiel gets yellow.
Montiel brings down Vinicius with a loose challenge and goes into the book.
87'
Vinicius draws a foul from Montiel down the left flank and wins Brazil a free-kick in a dangerous position.
85'
CHANCE! Brazil crank up the pressure by winning a corner down the right flank. Neymar swings a cross into the box, but Thiago Silva can only glance his header over the bar.
82'
Marquinhos gets yellow.
Marquinhos reacts to the challenge by shoving Otamendi to the deck. He is booked by the referee.
81'
N. Otamendi gets yellow.
Otamendi wipes out Neymar on a run through the Argentina defence. The forward tumbles to the deck and the defender goes into the book.
79'
E. Palacios enters the game and replaces Á. Di María.
G. Pezzella enters the game and replaces C. Romero.
N. González enters the game and replaces L. Martínez.
Gonzalez enters the action in the final third to replace Martinez.
Argentina are forced into a defensive change at the back. Romero is replaced by Pezzella for the final 11 minutes.
Palacios replaces Di Maria on the pitch for the Albiceleste.
78'
Barbosa goes down in the box amid a challenge from Rodriguez. The forward looks to the referee for a penalty, but the official dismisses his claim.
Minute
Description
76'
Gabriel Barbosa enters the game and replaces Lucas Paquetá.
Emerson Royal enters the game and replaces Renan Lodi.
Paqueta is withdrawn by Tite and replaces him with Barbosa.
Emerson enters the action to replace Renan Lodi down the left flank for the Selecao.
75'
Brazil are sending plenty of men forward, but the Argentina defence is holding firm at the back for now.
74'
Danilo makes an important headed clearance at the back post for the Selecao to clear Di Maria's cross away from Lautaro Martinez lurking in the box.
72'
Lucas Paquetá gets yellow.
Paqueta barges into Tagliafico and goes into the book. That was a harsh one from the official.
71'
WIDE! Neymar threads the needle and finds Paqueta in the Argentina box. He wraps his left foot around the ball, but he can only send his strike wide of the target amid pressure from Romero.
70'
Renan Lodi gets yellow.
Renan Lodi goes into the book for a challenge on De Paul as the midfielder tries to break upfield.
Argentina are doing their utmost to take the pace out of the game. They're trying to manage the clock here as we enter the final 20 minutes.
68'
R. De Paul gets yellow.
De Paul brings down Neymar on a surge upfield and goes into the book. He takes one for the team there.
64'
Renan Lodi fends off Di Maria on the byline to quell the threat from the Argentina corner, allowing Thiago Silva to breathe.
63'
Vinícius Júnior enters the game and replaces Everton.
N. Tagliafico enters the game and replaces G. Lo Celso.
Vinicius Junior replaces Everton down the left flank for the Selecao.
Lo Celso is withdrawn for the Albiceleste and is replaced by Tagliafico.
Thiago Silva sends an awful backpass towards Ederson that travels straight out for a corner. The defender will hope that Argentina do no capitalise.
61'
De Paul draws a foul down the right flank and Messi clips a dangerous cross into the box from the free-kick, but the Brazil defence are organised to clear the danger.
60'
Montiel does well down the right flank to clear the danger amid the advancing run of Renan Lodi. He wins a throw-in for his team to allow the Albiceleste to take the pace out of the game.
57'
Brazil have responded well since the restart and are flooding men forward into the final third. The Albiceleste need to remain resolute under pressure.
56'
Neymar goes down in the box, but the referee does not have a decision to make as an offside against Renan Lodi earlier in the move hands Argentine a free-kick.
54'
G. Rodríguez enters the game and replaces L. Paredes.
Paredes is withdrawn from the middle of the park by Scaloni and is replaced by Rodriguez.
51'
G. Lo Celso gets yellow.
Lo Celso wipes out Neymar on the charge in the middle of the park and goes into the book.
48'
Richarlison makes progress down the right and goes down under pressure from Acuna. However, the referee points only for a goal-kick to the Albiceleste.
46'
Roberto Firmino enters the game and replaces Fred.
We're back under way at the Marcana.
Tite makes an attacking change at the break. Firmino enters the action to replace Fred, who had been booked in the first half. Firmino will operate as Brazil's spearhead.
45' +1
HALF-TIME: ARGENTINA 1-0 BRAZIL
Messi and Lo Celso attempt to combine with a one-two in the Brazil box. Marquinhos does well to track the run of Messi and guide the ball back into the arms of Ederson.
45'
There will be one minute of added time.
44'
WIDE! Richarlison attacks the resulting corner from Neymar's delivery, but his effort travels away from yellow and Argentina shirts and behind for a goal-kick.
43'
Richarlison sends a sublime cross in from the right flank for Paqueta to attack, but the midfielder fails to make contact with a diving header before Montiel sends the ball behind for a corner.
42'
Neymar tries to break down the right flank, but Romero tracks his progress all the way and diverts the ball out for a throw-in with a fine challenge.
41'
Richarlison gets back to thwart Acuna down the left flank and then wins a free-kick amid niggly challenges from the full-back.
Acuna is pulled back by Paqueta in the Brazil half, earning Argentina a free-kick in a useful position.
38'
Neymar tries to chip a throughball forward for Richarlison's run in the left-inside channel, but Montiel covers and heads back to Emi Martinez.
34'
BLOCK! Neymar lines up the resulting free-kick, but he can only hammer his effort straight into the Argentina wall.
33'
L. Paredes gets yellow.
Paredes brings down Neymar on the charge and goes into the book. Brazil have a dangerous free-kick 25 yards from goal.
32'
WIDE! Messi has a run at the Brazil defence and weaves his way past Marquinhos on the edge of the box. He goes for a low strike towards the bottom-left corner that travels just wide of the post.
30'
Neymar has been quiet in the opening 30 minutes of the contest. The Albiceleste have done a solid quelling the threat of the forward thus far.
26'
Casemiro tries to combine with Paqueta in the final third, but his effort from 20 yards travels straight into the arms of Emi Martinez.
22'
Á. Di María has scored a goal for Argentina! Assist by R. De Paul.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! DI MARIA PUTS ARGENTINA AHEAD!!! 1-0!!!! Di Maria latches on to a ball over the top and capitalises on a mistake from Renan Lodi before lobbing Ederson to find the back of the net. De Paul lifts a sublime pass over the Brazil defence and Renan Lodi fails to make the interception with an outstretched boot. Di Maria latches on to the ball and takes a good first touch before lifting his effort over the Brazil keeper.
De Paul angles a sublime ball over the top for Di Maria to collect and score with a sublime finish.
20'
BLOCK! Neymar nods the ball back to Richarlison on the charge, but the forward sees his effort on the half-volley blocked by Romero.
18'
Argentina work together a series of passes, but Fred wins the ball with a well-timed challenge to quell the attack down the right flank.
16'
Neither team has been able to get their foot on the ball and attempt to build phases of possession. It's not a classic out there at the moment.
14'
Casemiro bundles over Montiel and the referee awards a free-kick to Argentina. It has been a scrappy start to the contest to say the least.
12'
Paqueta tries to release Renan Lodi down the left flank. Romero gets across to make the interception, but gets clattered by Renan Lodi after the fact.
10'
Richarlison tries to put the pressure on De Paul to attempt to win possession in the final third, but he fouls the Argentina midfielder.
8'
Both sides are putting in heavy challenges in the early stages of the game. The referee will have his work cut out tonight.
6'
Acuna tries to press down the left flank, but he fouls Danilo as he tries to reach an offload on the byline.
5'
The Albiceleste get their foot on the ball in the early stages to press at Brazil's backline, but are yet to make any meaningful penetration in the final third.
3'
Fred gets yellow.
Fred catches Montiel with a late challenge and goes into the book.
1'
We're under way at the Maracana.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Copa America final between Argentina and Brazil at the Maracana.
Argentina are aiming to win the Copa America for the first time since 1993 and to end a dismal run of failures in the final. The Albiceleste have qualified for the final four times since their last triumph, but have ultimately failed on the grand stage. Lionel Messi has the chance to win a first major crown at international level after playing a starring role in the tournament to date. It will not be easy as Lionel Scaloni's men had to go through the drama of a penalty shootout to reach the final, narrowly seeing off Colombia in a shootout. They need a flawless performance tonight to overcome Brazil.
Brazil are chasing their eighth Copa America crown and to successfully defend their title won in the 2019 competition. The Selecao defeated Peru 3-1 in a routine victory in 2019, but know the Albicelete will provide a tough test of their mettle. Tite's side overcame Peru in th semi-finals courtesy of a strike from Lucas Paqueta. They have been solid in the knockout stages and will be determined to see off Messi and company tonight.
ARGENTINA SUBS: Franco Armani, Nicolas Tagliafico, German Pezzella, Sergio Aguero, Agustin Marchesin, Exequiel Palacios, Nicolas Gonzalez, Guido Rodriguez, Angel Correa, Alejandro Gomez, Lisandro Martinez, Nahuel Molina.
BRAZIL (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Renan Lodi; Casemiro, Fred; Richarlison, Lucas Paqueta, Everton; Neymar.
BRAZIL SUBS: Alisson, Alex Sandro, Everton Ribeiro, Weverton, Emerson, Eder Militao, Fabinho, Vinicius Junior, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Barbosa, Leo Ortiz, Douglas Luiz.
ARGENTINA (4-3-3): Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Acuna; Rodrigo de Paul, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria.
Lionel Scaloni's men have been solid at the back and have nullified the threat of Neymar so far in the contest. The second half will be a test of their resolve and their composure given their wait for a major international title.
Thanks for joining our commentary. Until next time, goodbye.
Both teams return to action in September for their World Cup qualifying campaigns. The newly-crowned Copa America champions Argentina are away against Venezuela, while Brazil are on the road to Chile.
Commentary
More…