Argentina lifts another Copa America, beating Colombia in extra time

Defending champions Argentina clinched a record 16th Copa America title by defeating Colombia 1-0 in extra time, courtesy of a decisive goal from substitute Lautaro Martinez at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida on Sunday. The match faced an unusual delay of over an hour as thousands of ticketless fans attempted to storm the stadium, but it eventually proceeded to deliver a thrilling conclusion.

The regulation time was a tightly contested affair with both teams creating opportunities but failing to convert. The game opened up in extra time, culminating in Martinez’s breakthrough in the 112th minute. Martinez, the tournament’s leading scorer, capitalized on a precise through ball from Giovani Lo Celso and skillfully lifted his shot over the advancing Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, igniting celebrations among the Argentine supporters.

This victory adds to Argentina’s recent successes, following their 2022 World Cup and 2021 Copa America wins. It also provided a fitting sendoff for eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, likely participating in his final international tournament. The win marked the end of Angel Di Maria’s international career, as the 36-year-old had previously announced his retirement from international football post-Copa America.

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Colombia started the match aggressively, with Jhon Cordoba hitting the post in the seventh minute, and Jefferson Lerma and Richard Rios forcing saves from Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Messi suffered an ankle injury in the 36th minute following a collision with Santiago Arias, which visibly hampered him for the rest of the half. Despite Argentina’s defensive resilience in the second half, Messi had to leave the pitch in the 66th minute due to his injury.

During extra time, Argentina continued to press, with Nico Gonzalez testing Vargas before Martinez finally secured the winning goal.