Lautaro Martínez’s extra-time goal on Sunday night gave Argentina a consecutive Copa America title and third straight major tournament victory.
Martínez scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the 112th minute in a 1–0 win over Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium. Martínez advanced towards Colombia’s goal and fired a shot from the right side past Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Martínez’s goal came just minutes after entering the game in the 97th minute as part of a triple substitution for Argentina. His five goals surpassed all scorers in the Copa América and three of those goals came after he entered the game as a substitute.
Argentina played almost half the game without Lionel Messi due to a 30-minute extra period following a 0–0 deadlock at the end of regulation.
Messi left the game in the 65th minute after falling to the ground while chasing the ball. It seemed like he knew immediately he was in trouble. It didn’t take long for the bench to prepare a replacement in the form of Nicolas Gonzalez.
Messi limped off the field without the shoe on his right foot and soon collapsed into his seat on the bench. He started crying shortly after sitting down, perhaps knowing full well that Sunday night’s game could be his last major tournament for his country.
The seriousness of Messi’s ankle injury became clear to viewers at home at the start of extra time when TV cameras zoomed in on the swollen joint.
Shortly after Martínez scored, Angel Di Maria was subbed off in place of Nicolas Otamendi in the 117th minute. Sunday’s game was Di Maria’s final in an Argentina uniform and he too was in tears as he left the field. After reaching the Argentina bench, Di Maria smiled and hugged Messi.
The win marks the 16th Copa America title for the reigning World Cup champions. Argentina won the tournament in 2021 with a 1–0 win over Brazil, the first major tournament win of the Messi era. A year later, Argentina defeated France on penalty kicks in the World Cup final, capping a remarkable career for a man who could have become the greatest soccer player of all time.
Messi did not retire from international duty after the World Cup and found himself playing Sunday night’s game in the same city where he currently plays his club football for Inter Miami. But he struggled to make much of an impact in his time on the field and was briefly injured in a tackle in the first half.
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