In their first game at the Copa America, the Argentine national team led by Lionel Messi could only wrest a draw from the team from neighboring Chile.

Messi (33.) himself set the sporting highlight of the second match day with a spectacular free kick in the corner of the goal.

Eduardo Vargas equalized for Chile in the 57th minute.

The Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez had previously saved a penalty from the former Bayern player Arturo Vidal, but then the former Hoffenheim Vargas headed to make it 1-1.

Nicolas Gonzalez from Stuttgart did not use any of his four big chances. Leverkusen's Exequiel Palacios, who came on as a substitute in the middle of the second half, was no longer able to provide a boost. Argentina has been waiting to triumph in major tournaments for 28 years. In 1993, the "Albiceleste" won the Copa for the last time - in the Copa finals in 2015 and 2016, the 14-time title holder lost on penalties to Chile.

Argentina and Chile met just two weeks ago in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The game in Santiago del Estero also ended in a 1-1 draw. "There was a lack of calm," Messi admitted after the final whistle. “We wanted to start the tournament with a win. Now comes Uruguay, which is equal and difficult. There are two difficult games to start in the Copa America. But good - now we have to win against Uruguay. "

Before the start of the game at the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the South American Football Association Conmebol honored the Argentine football legend Diego Maradona with an audio-visual show highlighting the highlights of his career.

The 1986 world champion died of a heart attack just under seven months ago after brain surgery at the age of only 60.

Paraguay beats Bolivia

In the second encounter on Monday Paraguay beat the team from Bolivia 3-1.

Erwin Saavedra gave Bolivia the lead in the 10th minute after a handball with a penalty.

Kaku equalized for Paraguay in the 62nd minute.

Ángel Romero increased in the 65th and scored in the 80th minute for the final score.

The Bolivian Jaume Cuellar saw the yellow-red card shortly before the half-time whistle (45th + 9th).

After some quarrels, the Copa America started on Sunday.

A few weeks before the start of the South American continental tournament, first Colombia and then Argentina dropped out as the host.

The Conmebol then moved the Copa América to Brazil, which led to widespread criticism.

Almost 17.4 million people in the country have been shown to be infected with the coronavirus, and more than 488,000 people have died in connection with Covid-19 so far.

On Monday, the Brazilian Ministry of Health confirmed 41 positive Covid 19 cases, 31 of them among players and in the support staff, and ten more among the service staff of the event.

After Venezuela, Bolivia and Colombia, Peru is now also affected.

The Andean team who arrived on Monday left the fitness trainer Nestor Bonillo, who tested positive, at home.