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Watch: Heartbroken Lionel Messi Forced Out of Copa America Final Due to Injury

After suffering an injury on Sunday during Argentina’s Copa America 2024 final against Colombia, captain Lionel Messi was unable to contain his emotions. There were a lot of controversy surrounding the summit match since, prior to the game, a security check forced many supporters to wait outside the stadium.The game began after a wait of over an hour. After ninety minutes of play, there was still no goal as the 2022 World Cup winners were unable to break through Colombia’s defense in a very contested first half of the match.

Video Credit: Bő

Messi sustained an injury in the first half after being tackled by a Colombian defender. The doctor raced onto the field and gave him a rapid examination. He left the field after a short while, but fate had other ideas as he suffered another ankle injury in the second half. This time, Nicolas Gonzalez took his spot on the field after the medical professionals removed him. Messi sobbed as he left the pitch because Argentina would have to carry on with the summit confrontation without him.

Messi is most likely playing in his final major tournament match tonight. Conversely, Argentina’s all-time great Angel Di Maria declared that the match versus Colombia would be his last. Like Messi, Di Maria overcame years of heartbreak for Argentina before their triumph in the Copa America in Brazil in 2021 was overshadowed by the joy of winning the World Cup in Qatar the following year.

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In relation to the game, several fans entered the stadium without tickets, creating tumultuous situations. This led to a security breach that caused a total delay of 82 minutes. Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez both missed early opportunities to score as Colombia’s pressing style of play gave them a lot of problems in the first half. Following a goalless first 90 minutes between the two clubs, Lautaro Martinez came up with the game-winning goal as extra time approached. A short while later, Messi’s sadness became joy.