In less than a month, the Copa America kicks off on June 20th. Plenty of young stars are expected to make a big impact but none more so than Endrick. Soon to be a Real Madrid player, the Brazilian was snapped up by Los Blancos for fees in excess of $60 million! His otherworldly talent was on display as he scored to help Brazil beat England at Wembley. With players like him on board, Brazil is the favorite of many for the Copa America. But Endrick doesn’t agree with the claims and points to Lionel Messi and Co as the team to beat.

In a recent interview, Endrick gave his thoughts on the defending Copa winners. He said, “Argentina always had several stars and none was champion on their own. Even without Messi, Argentina will always be one of the favorites in any competition.” With difference makers like Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez on board, Argentina is more than just the Lionel Messi show. Notably, it was Di Maria who won the MOM award in the 2021 Copa America final.

Endrick also revealed how Brazil can win the tournament. He said, “If to be champions we have to beat Argentina, we are going to fight for that. With respect, but trusting.” But to beat Argentina, Brazil will have to negate Lionel Messi. La Pulga has been in scintillating form this season and has been pulling the strings for Inter Miami. In 13 games this season, Messi has 12 goals and 11 assists to his name! With the soccer icon in red hot form, it’s understandable why Endrick labeled Argentina as the favorite. But favorite tag doesn’t matter much according to Rodrigo De Paul.

The presence of Lionel Messi ‘doesn’t mean anything’ according to De Paul!

The Atletico Madrid midfielder opened up on Argentina’s chances in the tournament. He admitted that the tag of reigning champions and Lionel Messi makes La Albiceleste one of the favorites. But this guarantees nothing as per the midfielder. He explained, “Football is beautiful because the favorite doesn’t always win. We are preparing like it’s the first time and we are very excited to bring joy once again.”

Also, De Paul was a big catalyst for Lionel Messi’s World Cup 2022 displays. The midfielder admitted to sacrificing his creative play style and converting to a selfless box-to-box role for the betterment of the team. As per the 30-year-old, this meant covering more distance and doing more defensive work. Although he didn’t score a single goal at Qatar 2022, his contributions enabled Messi to fully unleash himself. And coach Scaloni would be happy to continue with the same tactic if it means Messi would be at his best in the Copa.