The Argentine national team and Leo Messi won its third consecutive victory in a major tournament, and its second straight Copa America championship, after beating Colombia 0:1 in extra time in the Copa final in Miami on Sunday night. The victory came with Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute goal.
Messi appeared to sustain a non-contact injury while running and falling in the 64th minute and covered his face with his hands as he sat on the bench and sobbed.
Martínez later ran to that bench to hug his captain after the goal that propelled Argentina to its record 16th Copa title.
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Argentina national team captain Lionel Messi holds the trophy aloft after winning the Copa America championship
(Photo: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters)
In a match that started 1 hour, 22 minutes late because of crowd trouble at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina won its third straight major title following the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup and matched Spain, which won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships around the 2010 World Cup.
Now Messi will also have to decide whether to try to play in the upcoming World Cup, which will also be held in the U.S., or to end his chapter on the national team when he is at his peak.
Argentina not only lifted the title for the 16th time in its history, thus leaving Uruguay behind and becoming the sole record holder, but also did so with a victory over the team that was the hottest in the world, the one that had not lost in its previous 28 games dating to a February 2022 loss to Argentina.
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Messi on the bench after sustaining an injury in the Copa America championship
(Photo: Juan Mabromata/ AFP)
Martínez entered in the 97th minute and scored from Giovani Lo Celso’s perfect through pass. Just inside the penalty area, Martínez sent a right-foot shot through the upraised arms of sliding goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his 29th international goal, his tournament-high fifth.
Making his 39th and possibly last Copa America appearance at age 37, Messi had one goal in the tournament. He went down after his ankle was stepped on in the first half but remained in the game.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner looked to the bench as soon as he fell to the field in the second half, appearing to know his tournament was over. He took off his right boot as he walked off and slammed it down in frustration, as his ankle appeared to swell.
The start was delayed by an hour and a half to 9:30 p.m. local time because of crowd control issues outside the stadium, including troves of fans breaching security gates at a venue to be used for the 2026 World Cup.
Days after Uruguay players were involved in a brawl with Colombia fans following their semifinal match in Charlotte, North Carolina, video showed fans climbing fences and railings to get inside the championship match, with officials unable to keep track of who had purchased tickets and who didn’t.
Colombia was more aggressive and forced goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to make four saves in the first half, but Argentina began to threaten more in the second.
Nicolás Tagliafico thought he scored in the 75th minute but was ruled offside. Nicolás González, who replaced Messi. was stopped by Vargas in the 95th minute.
Numerous players lost their footing during the second half of Sunday’s match. The grass was heavily watered with sprinklers following the halftime performance by Colombian pop star Shakira, which caused an extended halftime break.