The 2024 Copa America final unfolded as a tense and fiercely contested match, with no goals scored in the first half.

The second half mirrored the intensity of the first, with both teams locked in a tight battle. In the 64th minute, Lionel Messi went down on the field after being marked by Luis Diaz, though unaffected by the challenge.

It appeared Messi may have aggravated his right ankle injury from the end of the first half. Coach Lionel Scaloni substituted him with Nicolas Gonzalez, and Messi couldn’t hide his emotions as he left the field in tears.

After 90 minutes, neither Argentina nor Colombia had managed to break the deadlock, forcing the match into two extra periods to determine the champion.

In the 112th minute, excellent teamwork between substitutes saw Giovani Lo Celso deliver a perfectly timed pass to Lautaro Martinez, who calmly finished past goalkeeper Camilo Vargas in a one-on-one situation, giving Argentina the lead.

Martinez’s goal proved to be the decisive strike, securing a narrow victory for Argentina over Colombia and clinching the Copa America title.