'I'm heading back to Barcelona to win a place in the team'

Vidal secured the sort of gametime that he hopes to with Barcelona for his country, showing that he is more than prepared for the phsyical demands of the Spanish top flight by getting an invaluable 180 minutes into his legs.

Speaking following the win over Mexico, Vidal said that he was very happy with his fitness levels and warned his rivals that he is after their starting berths at the Camp Nou.

"I think it has been six or seven months since I last played two 90 minutes back to back, so I'm very happy," he explained.

"I'm heading back to Barcelona with plenty of desire to win a place in the team."

Vidal had previously shown his discontent with his lack of playing time with Ernesto Valverde's side, but his latest comments suggest that he is merely focused on getting back into the side.

The victory over Mexico provided the perfect vengeance for 'La Roja' after their 7-0 loss to the North Americans during the previous Copa América, but Vidal was keen to play down suggestions of a rivalry between the two pairs.

"I don't know if there is a rivalry with Mexico, they're really good and intense games," he said on the matter.

However, those comments do contrast with Vidal's rather exuberant goal celebrations as Chile secured the victory.

Vidal raised a finger to his lips to shush the home fans, but it remains to be seen if the midfielder will be able to silence his critics in Catalonia in the near future.