Argentina star Lionel Messi "lost his mind" ahead of the speech which inspired his team-mates to Copa America glory, according to colleague Angel di Maria.
Former Manchester United man Di Maria scored the winner in the final against Brazil to deliver the first continental title of his career. It was also Messi's first win, after painful defeats in the 2007, 2015 and 2016 finals.
Messi won the Ballon d'Or just months after that Copa America victory, extending his record for the individual prize. That win might not have been possible without his inspirational speech, though - not to mention his tournament-leading four goals in Brazil in 2021.
"Before the start of each game, he [Messi] spoke," Di Maria said in the Netflix documentary 'Sean Eternos: Campeones de América'. "But his last speech was different, he lost his mind".
The documentary also shows some of the moments before the final. In his speech, Messi begins by saying "We already know what Argentina and Brazil mean".
The veteran, who had just finished his final Barcelona season before joining PSG later that summer, had scored four goals in the tournament going into the final. One against Chile, one against Ecuador and two against Bolivia ensured he finished as the joint-highest scorer alongside Colombia's Luis Diaz, who would join Liverpool the following January.
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"I don't want to say anything today, just thank you guys," Messi continued. "Thank you very much for these 45 days.
"I told you on my birthday (16 days before the final), we have made a beautiful group, and I enjoyed it very much. 45 days where we travelled, ate, were locked up in hotels, 45 days without seeing our families, guys.
"Dibu (Emi Martinez) had a daughter and even he couldn't see her, he couldn't hold her in his arms," he added. "All for what? For this moment. Because we had a goal and are very close to achieving it."
"And you know what the best of all is? That this depends on us."
While Messi ended his wait for a Copa America title, he still has a chance to add a World Cup to his trophy cabinet. The 35-year-old was the player of the tournament in 2014, with Argentina losing the final after Di Maria missed the game through injury, but have another chance in 2022.
Lionel Scaloni's squad have been drawn against Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, beginning their campaign in Lusail on November 22. They could face another last-16 tie against holders France, who eliminated them at the same stage in 2018.
While nothing is set in stone, Messi has suggested the upcoming World Cup will be his last. He goes into the tournament in fine form, though, with seven goals and 10 assists in Ligue 1 this season as well as four group-stage goals in the Champions League.
