Argentina won its second straight Copa America championship, overcoming Lionel Messi\u2019s second-half leg injury to beat Colombia 1-0 Sunday night on Lautaro Mart\u00ednez\u2019s 112th-minute goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Messi seemed 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mart\u00ednez advanced ran to that bench to hug his captain after the goal that propelled Argentina to its record 16th Copa title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a match that started 1 hour, 22 minutes late because of crowd anxiety at 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Argentina also clogged Colombia\u2019s 28-game unbeaten streak dating to a February 2022 loss to the Albiceleste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mart\u00ednez move in in the 97th minute and scored from Giovani Lo Celso\u2019s perfect through pass after Leandro Paredes stripped the ball from a Colombian just short of the center stripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just inside the penalty area, Mart\u00ednez sent a right-foot shot through the upraised arms of sliding goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his 29th international goal, his tournament-high fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seeming to be limping after the final whistle sounded well past midnight, Messi beckoned for his senior teammates to lift the trophy with him: 36-year-old Nicol\u00e1s Ottamendi and \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda, who is retiring from the national team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As white confetti cascaded, the trio hugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe truth is, it\u2019s hard to describe,\u201d Di Maria said. \u201cIt was written like that. I told the guys last night at dinner that I dreamt it. That\u2019s why I said it was my last Copa America. I dreamt we made it to the final and we won it so I could go out this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be always grateful to this generation who gave me everything, helped me win what I always wanted and today, I am leaving like this,\u201d Di Maria said. \u201cIt could not be better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making his 39th and possibly last Copa America appearance at age 37, Messi had one goal in the tournament. He went down after an ankle was stepped on in the first half but remained in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The eight-time Ballon d\u2019Or 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 frustration, and his ankle appeared to swell. With his right foot bare, he stood by the bench and raised his arms while teammates ran onto the field when Mart\u00ednez scored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The start was delayed from 8 p.m. EDT to 9:22 p.m. 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.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Argentina won its second straight Copa America championship, overcoming Lionel Messi\u2019s second-half leg injury to beat Colombia 1-0 Sunday night on Lautaro Mart\u00ednez\u2019s 112th-minute goal. Messi seemed 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….<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6550,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,68],"tags":[663,537,250,134],"class_list":["post-6549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","category-international-football","tag-16th-copa-america-title","tag-argentina","tag-lionel-messi","tag-sports-news"],"yoast_head":"\n