Rio de Janeiro (AFP)

Star Wars at the Maracana!

Brazilian star Neymar and Argentinian star Lionel Messi, friends since their years together at FC Barcelona, ​​face each other in the final of the Copa America in Brazil, Saturday in Rio de Janeiro (00:00 GMT Sunday).

This galactic confrontation between the two big favorites of the tournament, which will be played exceptionally with the public - limited to 10% of the capacity of the enclosure - is the opportunity for Neymar and Messi to finally win a first major title in the selection, decisive asset to win the Ballon d'Or, the race of which remains very open this year.

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And too bad if "Ney" and "Leo" nourish a sincere friendship since the four seasons spent by the Brazilian at Barça (2013-2017).

"I've always said it, (Messi) he's the best player I've ever seen play. He's a great friend, but we're in the final, we're rivals now and I want to win, I want to get this title because it would also be my first, "said" Ney ".

Injured, he missed the Copa America-2019 won by Brazil.

“When you have a friend who is going to be your opponent, it ends up being hard to forget the friendship. But even when you play with your friends, you want to beat them by all means. added the Paris SG player.

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For Messi (34), the tournament's top scorer and passer with 4 goals and 5 assists, this final is one of the last opportunities to win a title with Argentina.

- Repeated failures -

In addition to having shared the same locker room, the two friends have in common repeated failures in major international competitions.

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This final is, for the six-time Argentinian Ballon d'Or, the opportunity to break the curse after four lost finals (World-2014, Copa America 2007, 2015 and 2016) and to put an end to the endless famine of his country, which hasn't won a trophy since the 1993 Copa America.

Neymar (29), often overtaken by injuries, always tries to forget the affront of 2014, when Brazil had suffered, at home, the greatest humiliation in its history (7-1) in the semi-final against the 'Germany, in the absence of his prodigy touched on the back.

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Both nevertheless have an Olympic gold medal on their list, won in 2008 for the Argentinian and in 2016 for the Brazilian, who also won the Confederations Cup in 2013.

At Barça, the two world football superstars formed one of the most prolific duos - then trios, with the arrival of Luis Suarez - in history, compiling goals and assists to offer the Catalan club its fifth League champions in 2015, accompanied by two Spanish league titles (2015, 2016) and three Copa del Rey (2015, 2016, 2017).

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"Talking about Messi and Neymar is talking about excellence, technical, mental, physical qualities, great creativity. It's a great challenge, a great spectacle," said Brazilian coach Tite.

Neymar will find his friend, and mentor, on a field for the first time since his departure from FC Barcelona in 2017. He also ensures that he "only thinks of victory".

“Today Argentina have, with Messi, one of the best players in their history. I think it would be a good thing for the film at the end of my career. It's a final that everyone hoped, and that I have always dreamed of playing ... ", concludes the Brazilian.

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