Lionel Messi experienced a rollercoaster of emotions as Argentina claimed their 16th Copa America title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Colombia in extra time.
Lautaro Martinez became the hero with a crucial goal in the second half of extra time, securing Argentina’s second consecutive Copa America triumph and their third major title in a row, following their 2022 World Cup win.
The match was marked by Messi’s heartbreaking injury setback.
After struggling to influence the score in the first half, the 37-year-old limped off in the second half due to an ankle twist sustained during play.
Messi, visibly in pain, received medical attention but was unable to continue, leaving the field with tears of frustration and disappointment.
Despite his absence, Argentina rallied behind Martinez’s decisive strike to clinch victory.
Images showed Messi on the sidelines with an ice pack on his swollen ankle, visibly distressed by the abrupt end to his game.
Earlier in the match, he had initially injured his ankle following a collision with Santiago Arias, an incident that clearly affected his performance for the remainder of the first half.
As the final whistle blew, Messi’s tears of pain transformed into tears of joy as he watched his team celebrate another historic victory.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
