MIAMI GARDENS, FL – After a delay of over an hour due to the chaos outside of Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina managed a 1-0 win over heated rival Colombia to take home its 16th Copa América trophy.
Argentina battled back and forth against the Colombian team to the final minute, which ended in tears.
Arena legend Lionel Messi suffered an ankle injury that sent him out of the game in the 63rd minute. Messi was in tears on the Argentina bench as images showed his severely swollen ankle. At that point, the match was still tied at 0-0.
By game’s end, he was all smiles as Argentina prevailed 1-0 without its star forward, thanks to a goal in the second half of extra time from Lautaro Martínez.
Martínez, who came off the bench in extra time, latched onto a precise through ball from Giovani Lo Celso before lifting his effort over advancing Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas in the 112th minute to spark wild celebrations at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.
Argentina’s latest title comes on the back of their triumphs at the 2022 World Cup and 2021 Copa America, giving eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi the perfect sendoff in what is likely his last international tournament.
The win saw Argentina move ahead of Uruguay after the pair had been tied on 15 Copa titles.
Messi, 37, has been bothered by leg injuries that have limited him for much of the year and injured his right thigh during group play against Chile. He sat out Argentina’s group stage finale against Peru, with Argentina having already clinched a spot in the tournament’s knockout round.
The Copa America final was marred by thousands of fans who rushed the gates of Hard Rock Stadium, breaking through barriers and overwhelming stadium security and local police.
The match was delayed due to the chaos, with images revealing that some fans even tried to crawl through air conditioning ducts to get closer to the action.
There were reports that many patrons who had tickets weren’t able to get into the game.
Ramon Jesurun, the 71-year-old head of Colombia’s soccer federation, and his son were arrested in Miami, accused of fighting security guards after the Copa America final that saw chaotic scenes around the stadium, Miami-Dade police confirmed on Monday.
More than two dozen fans were arrested at Sunday’s Copa America final and over 50 people were kicked out of the venue, at which over 800 law enforcement officers were present.
In a statement on Monday, Hard Rock Stadium said it had prepared for the match by increasing the number of law enforcement officers and security, with “more than double the personnel than a typical at-capacity stadium event.”
After gates were closed and reopened, the venue said, “fans continued to engage in illegal conduct—fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades, and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to property.”
The venue is one of the key locations for the 2026 World Cup.
