Lionel Messi’s participation in Sunday’s Copa América final against Colombia came to a heartbreaking end as he left the field in tears due to an ankle injury sustained during the second half.
The incident occurred in the 63rd minute when Messi fell to the turf and immediately signaled to the bench for assistance. Although he managed to limp to the sideline, it was evident that his Copa América was over. In the 65th minute, Nicolás González replaced Messi with the game still in a scoreless tie. As Messi took his place on the bench, the emotional weight of the moment overcame him, and he broke down in tears.
The exact nature of Messi’s injury was not immediately clear, but he was seen with his right ankle wrapped in ice. When the wrap was removed, a welt on his ankle was revealed. It appeared that Messi had initially sustained the injury in the first half after a tackle on the baseline. Despite grabbing his right ankle following the fall, he was able to continue playing until the second half when the pain became too much to bear.
At 37 years old, Messi has been plagued by leg injuries throughout the year. During the group stage against Chile, he injured his right thigh. Subsequently, he sat out Argentina’s group stage finale against Peru, as the team had already secured its spot in the tournament’s knockout round.
Argentina entered the final as the reigning Copa América and World Cup champions. Messi, a record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, was on a mission to lead Argentina to its 16th Copa América title, which would have broken a tie with Uruguay for the most titles in the tournament’s history.
The chaos surrounding the Copa América final began even before the match started. Fans at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium rushed the gates and broke down barriers in an attempt to gain entry, regardless of whether they had tickets. In response to the “serious concern of fans being crushed in an attempt to enter,” authorities temporarily opened the stadium gates to prevent injuries, told CNN Sports.
This Copa América final will be remembered for the chaotic scenes outside the stadium and the emotional departure of one of football’s greatest players. Messi’s tears on the bench reflected the pain of another injury setback and the lost opportunity to add another title to his illustrious career. The football world now waits anxiously for updates on his condition, hoping for a swift recovery for the legendary Argentine star.
Messi crying after a non-contact injury knocks him out of the game, perhaps his last for Argentina. Crushing. pic.twitter.com/MuNowyv583
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) July 15, 2024
Another look at that non-contact play that led to Messi being subbed off pic.twitter.com/07OzBJjDb8
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 15, 2024