Argentina wins record 16th Copa America title, beats Colombia 1-0 after Messi gets hurt

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Lionel Messi pumped his arms. The trophy bounced up and down in his grasp. Tears of frustration from an hour or so earlier had turned to laughs and hugs for the two-time Copa America champion and World Cup winner.

Messi was compelled to look at a lot of the second half and further time due to a leg harm. Nonetheless, Argentina gained its second straight Copa America championship, beating Colombia 1-0 Sunday evening on Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute purpose.

“Leo is the best participant in historical past,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni mentioned by means of an interpreter. “He by no means desires to depart the pitch. He has a swollen ankle and needs to maintain taking part in. I choose these gamers. He desires to play not as a result of he’s egotistical or egocentric. He desires to maintain taking part in as a result of he doesn’t wish to depart his teammates. … He was born to be on the pitch.”

Messi appeared to maintain a non-contact harm whereas working and falling within the sixty fourth minute. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner coated his face along with his palms as he sat on the bench and sobbed.

Martínez later ran to that bench to hug his 37-year-old captain after the purpose that propelled Argentina to its report sixteenth Copa title.

Showing to be limping after the ultimate whistle sounded nicely previous midnight, Messi beckoned for his senior teammates to elevate the trophy with him: 36-year-old Nicolás Ottamendi and Ángel Di María, who’s retiring from the nationwide group. As white confetti cascaded, the trio hugged.

“The reality is, it’s arduous to explain,” Di Maria mentioned. “It was written like that. I advised the blokes final evening at dinner that I dreamt it. That’s why I mentioned it was my final Copa America. I dreamt we made it to the ultimate and we gained it so I might exit this fashion.

“I’ll be at all times grateful to this era who gave me every thing, helped me win what I at all times wished and right now, I’m leaving like this,” Di Maria mentioned. “It couldn’t be higher.”

In a match that began 1 hour, 22 minutes late due to crowd bother at Onerous Rock Stadium, Argentina gained its third straight main title following the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup and matched Spain, which gained the 2008 and 2012 European Championships across the 2010 World Cup.

Argentina additionally stopped Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak courting to a 1-0 loss to Albiceleste in a February 2022 World Cup qualifier, additionally on a Martínez purpose.

Martínez entered within the 97th minute Sunday and scored from Giovani Lo Celso’s excellent cross after Leandro Paredes stripped the ball from a Colombian with a sliding deal with close to the middle stripe. Paredes exchanged passes with Martínez, then threaded the ball to Lo Celso, who one-timed a by means of ball as Martínez sprinted previous defender Carlos Cuesta.

Martínez ran onto the ball, took a contact that despatched him into the penalty space and struck a right-foot shot by means of the upraised arms of sliding goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his twenty ninth worldwide purpose, his tournament-high fifth.

Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo mentioned many Colombia gamers completed with extreme cramping. Temperatures have been within the higher 80s with humidity round 73%.

“It isn’t straightforward to play a ultimate. It’s not straightforward for anybody,” Lorenzo mentioned by means of an interpreter. “They performed six matches in 21 days and began feeling the outcomes. All of them left feeling cramps, a few of them in each legs. All of them left the pitch feeling the damage down and the tiredness.”

Making his thirty ninth and presumably final Copa America look, Messi had one purpose within the match. He went down within the thirty sixth minute after his left ankle was caught by Santiago Arias however walked again onto the sphere three minutes later.

Messi seemed to the bench as quickly as he fell to the sphere within the second half, showing to know his match was over. He took off his proper boot as he walked off and slammed it in frustration, and his ankle appeared to swell. Together with his proper foot naked, he stood by the bench and raised his arms whereas teammates ran onto the sphere when Martínez scored.

The beginning was delayed from 8 p.m. EDT to 9:22 p.m. due to crowd management points exterior the stadium, together with troves of followers breaching safety gates at a venue for use for the 2026 World Cup.

Days after Uruguay gamers have been concerned in a brawl with Colombia followers following their semifinal match in Charlotte, North Carolina, video confirmed followers climbing fences and railings to get contained in the championship match, with officers unable to maintain monitor of who had bought tickets and who didn’t.

Onerous Rock Stadium launched an announcement after the sport, saying the venue “takes delight in internet hosting world-class occasions year-round in a secure and profitable method.”

“We perceive there are disillusioned ticket holders who weren’t in a position to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed,” the assertion mentioned, “and we’ll work in partnership with CONMEBOL to handle these particular person issues. Finally, there may be nothing extra essential than the well being and security of all friends and workers, and that may at all times stay our precedence.”

Colombia was extra aggressive and compelled goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to make 4 saves within the first half, however Argentina started to threaten extra within the second.

Nicolás Tagliafico thought he scored within the seventy fifth minute however was dominated offside. Nicolás González, who changed Messi. was stopped by Vargas within the ninety fifth minute.

Quite a few gamers misplaced their footing through the second half of Sunday’s match. The grass was closely watered with sprinklers following the halftime efficiency by Colombian pop star Shakira, which prompted an prolonged halftime break.

Halftime was elevated from the conventional quarter-hour to round 25 minutes due to the efficiency.

Lorenzo was essential of the additional time earlier than the ultimate match, noting sanctions given to coaches for late second-half returns to the pitch earlier within the match. Sunday, he mentioned continuity in halftime guidelines could be finest to “safeguard the health and bodily aptitude of the gamers.”

Colombia’s James Rodríguez was chosen finest participant of the match, with six assists.

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AP Copa America protection: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america