Argentina skipper Lionel Messi was ecstatic after his team defeated Colombia in the thrilling Copa America Final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida's Miami Gardens on Monday, July 15.
The title clash between Argentina and Colombia went into extra time after a goalless regular play of 90 minutes. In the extra time, both sides were holding on to each other until Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 112th minute of the thrilling final.
With eight minutes left and five minutes of extra time in the final, Argentina continued to maintain their lead as they didn't let Colombia equalize. After the referee blew the final whistle, Lionel Messi erupted in joy as Argentina defended their Copa America title. The video of the same went viral on social media.
Earlier, Messi was spotted crying inconsolably after he was forcefully subbed off due to an injury on his right ankle in the second half of the final against Colombia, While sitting in the dugout, the Argentina maestro struggled to control his tears streaming from his eyes as he couldn't continue playing for the team in the title clash.
With defending Copa America triumph, Argentina shattered Uruguay's record of 15 titles in the history of the tournament. With the 16th triumph, La Albiceleste is the most successful team in Copa America. Argentina won their first Copa America title in 1921 and then, they went on to win in 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021 and now, in 2023 .
Moreover, Lionel Messi won his second Copa America triumph, having first won in the previous edition of the tournament. The 37-year-old won his third major international tournament of his illustrious career. Apart from two Copa America titles, Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup triumph in 2022 in Qatar.
Messi likely played his last Copa America as he already his retirement from the World Cup after leading Argentina to title win for the first time since 1990. With his second Copa America title, the legendary footballer increased his total trophies to 45 across various tournaments, including La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey.
