Argentina clinched its second consecutive Copa America championship with a 1-0 victory over Colombia on Sunday night, thanks to Lautaro Martinez’s decisive goal in the 112th minute. This win marks Argentina’s record 16th Copa America title.
Lionel Messi sustained a leg injury in the 64th minute, leaving the field in visible pain and emotional distress. Martinez, who entered the match in the 97th minute, scored the match-winning goal from Giovani Lo Celso’s through pass, sending a right-footed shot past Colombia’s goalkeeper, Camilo Vargas.
The match, held at Hard Rock Stadium, was delayed by 1 hour and 22 minutes due to crowd control issues. Despite these delays, Argentina secured its third consecutive major title, following their victories in the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup, matching Spain’s historic achievement of winning consecutive European Championships and a World Cup between 2008 and 2012.
Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak, which had been intact since their February 2022 loss to Argentina, came to an end.
Following the final whistle, Messi, limping, called his senior teammates Nicolas Otamendi and Angel Di Maria to lift the trophy with him. Di Maria, who announced his retirement from the national team, expressed his gratitude to his teammates.
“The truth is, it’s hard to describe,” Di Maria said. “It was written like that. I told the guys last night at dinner that I dreamt it. That’s 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.
“I’ll be always grateful to this generation who gave me everything, helped me win what I always wanted and today, I am leaving like this,” Di Maria added. “It could not be better.”
In his 39th and potentially final Copa America appearance, Messi scored one goal in the tournament. After being stepped on in the first half, he continued playing but had to leave the field in the second half due to his injury.
The match’s start was postponed from 8 p.m. EDT to 9:22 p.m. due to crowd control problems, with fans breaching security gates. This issue arose days after a brawl involving Uruguay players and Colombia fans during their semifinal match in Charlotte, North Carolina. Footage showed fans climbing fences and railings to enter the championship match, complicating officials’ efforts to manage ticketed and non-ticketed attendees.
Colombia’s aggressive play led to four saves by Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the first half. Argentina’s attempts increased in the second half, with a goal disallowed for offside in the 75th minute and a shot by Nicolas Gonzalez, who replaced Messi, saved by Vargas in the 95th minute.
The match saw numerous players losing their footing on the heavily watered grass, which was a result of the halftime performance by Colombian pop star Shakira, causing an extended halftime break.
Colombia’s James Rodriguez was named the best player of the tournament.
