In a dramatic finale to a tumultuous day, Argentina clinched its second consecutive Copa America championship with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Colombia, marked by Lionel Messi’s emotional injury exit and Lautaro Martínez’s decisive 112th-minute goal.
The match, delayed by crowd disturbances at Hard Rock Stadium, saw Messi sustain a troubling non-contact injury in the 64th minute, leaving him visibly distraught on the bench. Despite his absence on the field, Martínez emerged as the hero, scoring the winning goal from Giovani Lo Celso’s precise assist in extra time.
This victory not only secured Argentina’s record 16th Copa America title but also extended their winning streak in major tournaments, following their 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup triumphs. It mirrored Spain’s achievement of holding both the 2008 and 2012 European Championships around the 2010 World Cup.
Martínez’s decisive strike also ended Colombia’s impressive 28-game unbeaten streak, dating back to February 2022.
After the final whistle, a limping Messi rallied his senior teammates, including 36-year-old Nicolás Otamendi and retiring Ángel Di María, urging them to lift the trophy together amidst cascading confetti.
Di María, reflecting on the emotional victory, shared, “It was written like that. I dreamt it. That’s why I said it was my last Copa America… I’ll be always grateful to this generation who gave me everything.”
At 37, in what might be his final Copa America appearance, Messi, with one goal in the tournament, endured a frustrating injury after being stepped on in the first half. Despite his efforts to continue, he knew his tournament was over when he fell in the second half, removing his boot in visible frustration.
The championship match was marred by initial delays due to crowd control issues outside the stadium, reminiscent of previous unrest involving Uruguay players and Colombia fans in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Colombia exhibited aggression early on, forcing goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez into four saves in the first half. Argentina, however, grew stronger as the game progressed, narrowly missing opportunities until Martínez’s decisive strike.
As the tournament concluded, Colombia’s James Rodríguez was named the best player, capping off a memorable Copa America marked by dramatic moments both on and off the pitch.
