Lautaro Martinez secured Argentina's back-to-back Copa América titles and a third consecutive major tournament win with his extra-time goal on Sunday night.
Martinez scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the 112th minute, leading to a 1-0 victory over Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium. He broke towards the Colombia goal and shot across from the right to beat goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Martinez's goal came just minutes after he entered the game in the 97th minute as part of a triple substitution for Argentina. He led all scorers at Copa América with five goals, three of which were scored after coming on as a substitute.
Argentina played nearly half the game without Lionel Messi due to the extra 30-minute period following a 0-0 deadlock at the end of regulation.
Messi left the game in the 65th minute after collapsing while chasing the ball. He seemed to realize immediately that he was injured. The bench quickly readied a replacement in Nicolas Gonzalez.
Messi limped off the field without a shoe on his right foot and soon slumped into a seat on the bench. Shortly after, he broke down in tears, perhaps aware that this game could be his last major tournament appearance for his home 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.
Not long after Martinez scored, Angel Di Maria was substituted for Nicolas Otamendi in the 117th minute. Sunday’s game marked Di Maria's final appearance in an Argentina uniform, and he too was in tears after leaving the pitch. Upon reaching the Argentina bench, Di Maria shared a hug with a smiling Messi.
The victory marks the 16th Copa América title for the defending World Cup champions. Argentina won the tournament in 2021 with a 1-0 victory over Brazil, marking the first major tournament win of the Messi era. A year later, Argentina defeated France in penalty kicks in the World Cup Final, capping an illustrious career for a player considered by many to be the greatest soccer player ever.
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 soccer for Inter Miami. However, he struggled to make a significant impact during his time on the field and was briefly injured on a tackle in the first half.
Colombia finished the game with more possession and shots, although Argentina posed more danger for much of the match. Sunday night marked Colombia's third appearance in a Copa América final as they aimed for their second win. Colombia lost in their first final appearance in 1975 and secured the tournament victory as the host country in 2001.
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