A goal by Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martínez in extra time won the Albiceleste their 16th Copa America title in a match marred by security issues.
ADVERTISEMENTArgentina became Copa America champions in extra time on Sunday after overcoming Lionel Messi’s second-half ankle injury to beat Colombia 1-0 with a 112th-minute goal from Lautaro Martinez.
Messi appeared to suffer a non-contact injury as he fell in the 64th minute and was deemed unable to continue, forcing him to sit out the rest of the match.
Later, Inter Milan’s star striker Martinez ran to the bench to hug his captain after the goal that propelled the Albiceleste to a record 16th cup title.
In a match that started more than an hour late due to crowd problems at Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina won its third consecutive major title in a row, after winning the Copa in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022.
Argentina also ended Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten run going back to a February 2022 loss against the same team.
Martinez came on in the 97th minute and scored after a perfect pass from Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso. Just inside the box, Martinez sent a right-footed shot between the raised arms of goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his 29th international goal.
In his 39th and possibly final Copa America appearance, the 37-year-old Messi scored one goal in the tournament.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner looked at the bench as soon as he went down in the second half, marking the end of the tournament and, likely, his Copa America appearances in what has been a record-setting career.
The start of the match was delayed from 8 to 9:22 pm local time due to crowd control problems outside the stadium after dozens of fans broke through the security gates and were seen using the ventilation system to get in.
This, and earlier security issues, including a bust-up between fans and players at the Colombia-Uruguay semi-final match, raised concerns over the safety of the venues that will be used for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, set to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
