He beat one, two, three players, score goals - Vidal names Argentina's most important player

Chilean football legend Arturo Vidal identified Lionel Messi as the most important player for Argentina, stating this during a discussion about the 2016 Copa America final where Chile faced Argentina. Vidal explained that Chile's strategy to beat Argentina specifically focused on stopping Messi.

Vidal detailed that the plan involved closing down Messi immediately whenever he received the ball and denying him any space. Speaking on the 'A dos cámaras' YouTube channel, he emphasized that Messi's unique ability to beat multiple defenders and score goals necessitated this approach. "What we were clear about was that when Leo had the ball, every player who was close had to come up to help press him," Vidal stated, adding, "Why? Because we knew that he is the most important player that Argentina has. And he is the only one who can leave you alone, he can go against one, two or three. He can go to three and score a goal."

He stressed that the team concentrated intensely on executing this plan to mark Messi tightly and prevent him from making his next move. Vidal further revealed that if they failed to dispossess Messi, their tactics included fouling him to disrupt his play.

The 2016 Copa America final ended 0-0 after regular time, with Chile ultimately defeating Argentina 4-2 in a penalty shootout.