Argentina has reclaimed the Copa América title after defeating Colombia 1-0 on Monday. This triumph marks Argentina’s 16th Copa América championship, surpassing Uruguay for the most titles in the tournament’s history.
The match remained goalless through the regulation 90 minutes and four minutes of stoppage time, forcing the teams into extra time. The deadlock was finally broken in the 111th minute when Lautaro Martínez scored his fifth goal of the tournament, which proved to be the decisive moment as Colombia failed to equalize.
Despite the victory’s sweetness, Argentina faced some challenges, notably playing most of the match without their talisman Lionel Messi, who left the field due to an injury in the 64th minute. Messi, a pivotal figure for Argentina over the last two decades, watched the remainder of the game from the sidelines.
Nevertheless, Argentina managed to clinch the win, possibly marking Messi’s last Copa América appearance. Fans lauded Martínez and the team for pushing through fatigue to secure their second consecutive Copa América final victory.
Though not the most polished performance of the tournament, Argentina delivered when it counted most, adding another prestigious title to their collection.