Lionel
Messi pumped his arms and the trophy bounced up and down in his grasp. Tears of
frustration turned into laughs and hugs for the two-time Copa America champion
and World Cup winner.
Despite a leg injury that forced him to watch much of the second half and extra time, Argentina secured their second consecutive Copa America title with Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute goal, defeating Colombia 1-0 on Sunday night.
"Leo
is the greatest player in history," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
"He never wants to leave the pitch. He has a swollen ankle and still wants
to keep playing. He’s not egotistical or selfish; he doesn’t want to leave his
teammates. He was born to be on the pitch." Messi sustained a non-contact
injury in the 64th minute and sobbed on the bench, but Martínez later ran to
hug his captain after scoring the decisive goal.
Appearing
to limp after the final whistle, Messi called for senior teammates Nicolás
Ottamendi and Ángel Di María, who is retiring from the national team, to lift
the trophy with him. As white confetti cascaded, the trio embraced. "It’s
hard to describe," Di María said. "I dreamt we made it to the final
and won it. I’ll always be grateful to this generation who helped me win what I
always wanted."
The
match, delayed by crowd trouble at Hard Rock Stadium, saw Argentina win their third
straight major title, having previously won the 2021 Copa America and the 2022
World Cup. They ended Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak dating back to a 2022
World Cup qualifier. Martínez scored from a perfect pass by Giovani Lo Celso
after entering the game in the 97th minute, securing his 29th international
goal and the tournament-high fifth.
Colombia
coach Néstor Lorenzo noted that many players finished with severe cramping due
to the high temperatures and humidity. "It’s not easy to play a final,"
he said. Messi, in his 39th and possibly last Copa America appearance, had one
goal in the tournament. Despite an ankle injury, he stood by the bench, raising
his arms in celebration when Martínez scored.
The
start of the match was delayed due to crowd control issues, with fans breaching
security gates. Hard Rock Stadium later addressed the situation, emphasizing
their commitment to safety. Argentina began to threaten more in the second
half, with Nicolás Tagliafico’s goal ruled offside and Nicolás González stopped
by Vargas. The heavily watered grass caused numerous players to lose footing,
particularly after a halftime performance by Shakira.
Colombia’s
James Rodríguez was named the tournament’s best player with six assists.
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