Lionel Messi leaves the Copa America final in tears after suffering an injury as Argentina and Colombia battle for the title

Argentina captain Lionel Messi tearfully left Sunday’s Copa America final against Colombia in the 66th minute with a non-contact injury, which could have marked the 37-year-old’s final moments at a major international tournament for his country, but he did with a trophy when Argentina won 1-0.

Messi slipped and fell in the 65th minute, signaling almost immediately that he needed to be substituted. It was not immediately clear what the injury was, but it appeared that Messi’s leg was the problem and after a fairly quick check by the medical staff, he was released for Nicolas Gonazlaez a minute later when the score was 0-0.

He walked to the bench wearing only one shoe and promptly sat down, soon bursting into tears during a very important match for Argentina. Messi and company won the Copa America in 2021, coming in as defending champions, hoping to win the title again and maintain their status as the top-ranked team in the world, more than a year after winning the World Cup.

Shots of Messi crying on the bench were quickly broadcast but did not appear on screens in the stadium. Fans likely found out about the player’s emotional switch minutes later, and soon there were chants of “Leo! Leo!” could be heard around Hard Rock Stadium.

Messi quickly took off his cleats and switched to a pair of slippers, taking off his sock on the injured right leg so it could be iced and wrapped. The Argentina captain unwrapped the tape as the 30-minute extra time began, exposing an incredibly swollen right ankle.

It was not the first time Messi’s fitness was questioned on Sunday. He was fouled by Colombian Santiago Arias in the 35th minute and appeared to injure his ankle, although he eventually came back up to play another half hour.

Questions about Messi’s fitness have lingered throughout the tournament during Argentina’s run to the final, emerging as early as the group stages. Messi briefly stepped off the pitch in the first half of Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile. He later said he experienced discomfort in his thigh before playing the full 90 minutes. “I felt some discomfort in my right hamstring at the beginning of the match,” he said after that match. “It was tight. It wasn’t as loose as it should have been. But I was able to finish the game. We’ll see how it goes.”

Messi then sat out Argentina’s group stage final against Peru, although his services were not required as the team had already booked a place in the quarter-finals at that point.

Argentina went on to win the match in extra time, thanks to a goal from the tournament’s top scorer, Martinez, in the 112th minute. They won back-to-back Copa America titles for the first time since 1993, with the latter coming in between their 2022 World Cup triumph, helping them maintain their status as the team to watch ahead of the 2022 World Cup 2026. Cup.