MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Lionel Messi pumped his arms. The trophy bounced up and down in his grasp.
Tears of frustration from an hour or so earlier had turned to laughs and hugs for the two-time Copa America champion and 2022 World Cup winner.
The talented forward was forced to play spectator for much of the second half and extra time of Sunday’s match because of a leg injury, but Argentina still won its second straight Copa America championship, beating Colombia 1-0 on Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute goal at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Leo is the greatest player in history,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said through an interpreter. “He never wants to leave the pitch. He has a swollen ankle and wants to keep playing. I prefer those players. He wants to play not because he is egotistical or selfish. He wants to keep playing because he doesn’t want to leave his teammates. … He was born to be on the pitch.”
Messi appeared to sustain a noncontact injury while running and falling in the 64th minute. The eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or as the top men’s soccer player in the world covered his face with his hands as he sat on the bench and sobbed.