Lautaro Martinez secured back-to-back Copa América titles for Argentina and their third consecutive major tournament victory with his extra-time goal on Sunday night. Martinez scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the 112th minute, leading Argentina to a 1-0 win over Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium. Sprinting towards the goal, Martinez fired a shot from the right, beating Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Martinez entered the game in the 97th minute as part of a triple substitution for Argentina and made an immediate impact. His five goals topped all scorers in the Copa América, with three of them coming as a substitute.
Argentina played nearly half the game without Lionel Messi, who left in the 65th minute after injuring his ankle while chasing the ball. Messi limped off the field, visibly distressed, and was replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez. The severity of Messi’s injury became apparent when TV cameras showed his swollen ankle at the start of extra time.
In the 117th minute, Angel Di Maria was substituted for Nicolas Otamendi, marking Di Maria’s final appearance for Argentina. He left the pitch in tears and shared a hug with a smiling Messi on the bench.
This victory marks Argentina’s 16th Copa América title. They previously won the tournament in 2021 with a 1-0 victory over Brazil, which was Messi’s first major tournament win. A year later, Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout to win the World Cup, solidifying Messi’s illustrious career.
Messi, who now plays club soccer for Inter Miami, struggled to make a significant impact in Sunday’s game and was briefly injured by a tackle in the first half. Despite having more possession and shots, Colombia was less dangerous than Argentina for much of the game. This was Colombia’s third appearance in a Copa América final, having lost in 1975 and won as hosts in 2001.
The match was delayed by over an hour due to chaos at the gates and in the concourses of Hard Rock Stadium. With no perimeter around the stadium, fans crowded the gates hours before kickoff.