Miami: Pain turned into ecstacy for Lionel Messi as Argentina managed to beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday in the Copa America 2024 final in the Hard Rock stadium in Miami. Messi was over the moon with his fist pumping the air as his teammates came in for high-fives. Messi may not have contributed to the win as he was substituted in the second half following a nasty injury. While Messi stayed inside the dugout crying, Argentina got their first goal in the 112th-minute of the game.
Lautaro Martínez found the back of the net in extra time. And straight after scoring the goal, Martínez headed to the dugout to hug captain Lionel Messi. But, it was Messi’s celebration after the full-time whistle that shows what it meant for the legend, The clip of his celebration is already going viral:
Messi celebrating after the final whistle pic.twitter.com/EZgqXoM3EL
— Semper Fi (@SemperFiMessi) July 15, 2024
Argentina won courtesy of an extra-time goal from substitute Lautaro Martinez.
Martinez, the tournament’s leading scorer, received a precise through ball from Giovani lo Celso and deftly lifted his shot over the advancing Colombian goalkeeper, Camilo Vargas, in the 112th minute, sparking wild celebrations among Argentina fans. Lautaro Martinez’s goal, his fifth of the tournament, cemented his position as the top scorer and earned him the Copa America 2024 golden boot.
With this victory, Argentina secured its third consecutive major title, following the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup, matching Spain’s achievement of winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships alongside the 2010 world cup. Additionally, Argentina ended Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak, which had lasted since a February 2022 loss to the Albiceleste.
