Argentina won the 2024 Copa América championship 1-0 over Colombia after snatching victory with an extra-time goal in the 112th minute of a scoreless match.
Lautaro Martinez, who was the competition’s leading scorer with five goals, blasted a shot past Colombia goalie Camilo Vargas on a breakaway following a turnover.
Argentina, who were the defending champions of the tournament as well as World Cup winners in 2022, were the favorites of the tournament and never trailed during the competition.
But they were forced to win the title without arguably the sport’s greatest player when Lionel Messi was subbed out in the 66th minute with an ankle injury.
The game was marred by a delay of more than an hour after fans, many of whom didn’t have tickets, rushed the stadium and tried to get inside.
Video posted on social media showed fans, mostly wearing Colombia’s yellow and red colors, jumping over security railings near the southwest entrance of the stadium and running past police officers and stadium attendants. Screams could be heard in the background.
A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers were able to push the crowd behind the gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans with tickets had already made it to their seats before then.
Once the game got underway, Colombia started energetically and had several chances for the opening goal, testing Argentina’s goalie Emiliano Martínez.
Messi, arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, joined Inter Miami of Major League Soccer in 2023 after two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain and more than 20 at Barcelona.
The 37-year-old forward has bowed out of the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics and the next World Cup is almost two years away.
The result broke Colombia’s 28-game international win streak that dates back to February 2022, also a loss to Argentina. Colombia played without defender Daniel Muñoz, who was sent off following an altercation and a second yellow card in the first half against Uruguay in Wednesday night’s semifinal.
The Associated Press contributed.
