Argentina beat Colombia, lift record 16th Copa America title
Lautaro Martinez scored an extra-time winner as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 to win a record 16th Copa America title at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA, on Sunday.
A poor game — marred by security and crowd issues which forced an 82-minute delay — was decided by a quality finish from Martinez, his fifth goal of the tournament.
It was Argentina’s third straight major tournament title, following their 2021 Copa victory and their triumph in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
There were tears before the celebrations though, with Argentina captain Lionel Messi going off injured in the 66th minute and watching the rest of the game distraught on the bench. It was also an emotional farewell for Angel Di Maria in his last game for the national team.
For Colombia, whose only title came in the 2001 Copa America, it was a disappointing night when little seemed to work for Nestor Lorenzo's team.
There was chaos around entry to the stadium for fans, with organisers blaming supporters for trying to enter without tickets while fans blamed the lack of an efficient entry system to the venue.
The scenes were alarming, with some fans needing medical attention for heat exhaustion. But after the decision to suddenly throw open the gates, with no checks on those entering, the situation was largely resolved, and the game finally went ahead.
Colombia’s Jhon Corboba hit the bottom of the post with a speculative shot in the seventh minute, but neither side were able to find their flow in the early stages.
Di Maria found Messi in the 20th minute with a low ball into the box and Messi’s left-foot shot was saved by Colombia keeper Camilo Vargas.
Colombia had looked the more lively in the opening period and they went close in the 33rd minute when Jefferson Lerma tried his luck from 25 yards out and his low drive forced Emiliano Martinez into a diving save.
There was concern for Messi in the 36th when he dribbled to the byline but was halted by a sliding challenge from Santiago Arias. It left the Argentinian captain needing treatment.
It had been a disappointing first half and it didn’t improve much after the break, when the fans had at least received some entertainment from Colombian singer Shakira.
There was finally some of the expected quality when Di Maria produced one of his trademark runs in from the left and forced Vargas into action, the Colombia keeper turning the ball wide of the post.
Then came a major blow for Argentine hopes when Messi went down, without contact, as he ran in midfield, and clearly in pain he went off to be replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez in the 66th. It was too much for Messi, in what may have been his last major tournament, as he sat in tears on the bench, unable to hold back his emotions.
Little changed in extra-time with a half-chance from Miguel Borja after a flick from Jorge Carrascal but a worthy winner settled the game.
Leandro Paredes won the ball in midfield for Argentina with a perfectly timed tackle, found Giovani Lo Celso whose first time pass was perfect for the on-running Martinez who confidently fired home the winner.
---
Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content.
Instagram - @qatarliving
X - @qatarliving
Facebook - Qatar Living
YouTube - qatarlivingofficial
