Lautaro Martinez's goal came in extra time , in the 112th minute, to give Argentina the Copa America in the final against Colombia .

A final marked by the injury of Lionel Messi , who came off in tears in the 21st minute of the second half , and which began very late due to the accidents at the entrance to the Hard Rock Stadium, triggered by numerous fans, especially Colombians, who attempted to enter in the facility without a ticket, even trying to pass through the ventilation ducts.

Thanks to the Inter striker's goal , Argentina can celebrate the "triple crown", three international competitions in a row, after the 2021 Cup and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar .

The afternoon in Florida began in chaos. Police and security officers arrested several people who tried to enter the stadium without tickets . Many ailments due to the heat (around 34 degrees) and the crowds. When the organizers finally reopened the entrances, the influx of spectators once again proved chaotic.

With an hour and 22' of delay, the match finally started, at 03:22 Italian time , and Colombia was the first to shine with a choral action between James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz and Jhon Cordoba, author of a beautiful shot after a chest check (6'). Messi, after a shot blocked in the area by a defender (20'), suffered a hard tackle which left him on the ground for several minutes. Things went worse for him in the second half, when he collapsed with a sprained right ankle, which swelled noticeably in a few minutes. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner limped off two minutes later and was unable to hold back tears on the bench.

More tears of emotion, those shed by Angel Di Maria for what could have been his farewell to the national team. "I had dreamed of reaching the final and winning it, then giving up like that," commented the former Juventus player, replaced in the 117th minute. The Argentines had taken the lead a few minutes earlier: Giovani Lo Celso, following a pass from Leandro Paredes, sent Lautaro Martinez deep for a winning shot from the right of the area. All three protagonists of the action had come on during the match.

Martinez, the tournament's top scorer , consoled his captain Messi before lifting the trophy of the 16th Copa America for Argentina, a record that places them ahead of Uruguay (15) .

(Unioneonline)

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