Argentina beat Colombia 1:0 in extra time to win the 2024 Copa America
It took plays into the extra time for Argentina to finally find the back of the net and beat the hard fighting Colombians by a lone goal to lift the 2024 Copa America Cup in Miami, USA. The scores were nil-nil at full time and the teams had to go into the extra time in search of the tournament winner.
Lautaro Martínez, the Inter Millan captain, struck in the 112th minute of play to gift his country the only goal of the match and the Copa America 2024 trophy.
Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi, was substituted in the 65th minute of play due to an ankle injury, Speaking on this, Lionel Scaloni, the Argentine Coach, said that Lionel Messi tried to play through the pain in the Copa America final “because he did not want to let his team-mates down”.
Lionel Messi received medical treatment in the first half and had to be withdrawn in the second half with an apparent leg injury. Cameras later showed him sitting on the bench with a badly swollen right ankle.
“Leo has something that everyone should have. He’s the best in history and, even with an ankle like that, he doesn’t want to go off. But it’s not because he is selfish, but because he does not want to let his team-mates down. He was born to be on a pitch.” Scaloni said.
With the 2024 Copa America triumph, Lionel Messi has helped his country to win three major trophies in three years: Copa America 2021, World Cup 2022 and now Copa America 2024
Colombia’s hard Fought Campaign – Copa America
The Copa America final result in favour of Argentina means that Colombia’s incredible 28-match unbeaten streak has come to an end. Davinson Sanchez, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur and now with Galatasaray in Turkey, was one of the few Colombia players to front up after they fell at the final hurdle.
“It hurts after a tournament that the whole team fought for, it hurts when you compete to win and we felt we deserved more. But we have to thank the people, We wanted to give the victory to a country that deserves it, Colombia deserves everything, and we leave empty-handed, but we will go on.” he said.
