MIAMI: Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 to clinch a record 16th Copa America title at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
A poor game marred by security and crowd problems that forced an 82-minute delay was decided by a fine finish from Martinez – his fifth goal of the tournament.
The win was the third major tournament title for the Argentines in a row, after winning the Copa in 2021 and triumphing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But before the celebrations, there were tears as Argentina captain Lionel Messi went off injured in the 66th minute and watched the rest of the match distraught on the bench, while Angel Di Maria bid an emotional farewell in his final game for the national team.
There was chaos surrounding the entry of fans into the stadium, with organizers accusing fans of trying to enter without tickets, while fans blamed the lack of an effective entry system into the venue.
The scenes were alarming as some fans needed medical attention for heat exhaustion, but after the decision was made to open the gate suddenly, without checking those entering, the situation was largely resolved and the game finally resumed.
Colombia’s Jhon Corboba speculatively hit under the bar in the seventh minute, but neither side could find the right way in the early stages.
In the 20th minute, Di Maria found Messi with a ground ball into the box, and Messi’s left-footed shot was blocked by Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Colombia looked more lively in the opening period and went close in the 33rd minute when Jefferson Lerma tried his luck from 25 yards and his low drive forced Emiliano Martinez into a save.
There were concerns for Messi in the 36th minute when he dribbled towards the touchline but was stopped by a sliding challenge from Santiago Arias, which was only fair and the Argentina captain needed treatment.
Messi, who now plays his club football in Miami, then curled in a free-kick from the left wing but Nicolas Tagliafico’s header was just wide.
The first half was disappointing and it didn’t improve much after the break, when the fans got at least some entertainment from Colombian singer Shakira.
Finally there was the expected quality as Di Maria produced one of his signature runs down the left and forced Vargas into action, the Colombian keeper turning the ball wide of the post.
Then came a major blow to Argentina’s hopes when Messi went down without contact as he ran in midfield and left in apparent pain to be replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez in the 66th minute.
It was all too much for Messi at what might be his last major tournament as he sat in tears on the bench unable to contain his emotions.
Argentina fans thought they had won in the 75th minute when Tagliafico found Gonzalez in the box, who beat Vargas with a low drive, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Little changed in extra-time with Miguel Borja’s half-chance following Jorge Carrascal’s flick, but a worthy winner leveled the match.
Leandro Paredes won the ball in midfield for Argentina with a perfectly timed save, finding Giovani Lo Celso whose first-time pass was perfect for the onrushing Martinez to confidently fire home the winner.
