In the 112th minute, after a fumble and on a breakaway, Lautaro Martínez—who had five goals to his name—blasted a shot past Colombian goaltender Camilo Vargas.
After holding a 0-0 game into extra time, Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 to win the 2024 Copa América championship.
Leading goal scorer Lautaro Martínez of Colombia, with five goals, came on a breakaway after a mistake and blasted a shot past goalie Camilo Vargas.
The favorites of the competition and the reigning champions, Argentina, also happened to be the 2022 World Cup victors. They never fell behind.
However, Lionel Messi’s injury in the 66th minute required it to win the championship without the services of perhaps the best player in the history of the game.After supporters, many of whom did not have tickets, rushed the stadium and attempted to enter, the game was delayed for more than an hour.
Social media footage showed supporters, the most of whom were dressed in Colombia’s yellow and red uniforms, leaping over security barriers close to the stadium’s southwest entrance and sprinting past police officers and stadium workers. In the background, there were screams.
In the blazing heat of South Florida, a few people were observed seeking for water and obtaining medical attention. Many fans with tickets had already arrived at their seats when officers managed to shove the mob behind the gates and close the entry, preventing anyone from entering.
Colombia came out firing when the match began and had multiple opportunities to score the first goal, putting Argentina goalie Emiliano Martínez to the test.
Messi, 37, joined Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami last year after spending two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain and more than twenty at Barcelona. He is perhaps the greatest soccer player of all time.
He has withdrawn from the Olympics in Paris in 2024, and the next World Cup won’t happen for over two years.
Colombia had been winning international matches since February 2022, when they were defeated by Argentina. The outcome ended that run. Colombia did not have defender Daniel Muñoz for the semifinal match against Uruguay on Wednesday night. He was sent off after an argument and a second yellow card in the first half.
