Lionel Messi leaves Copa América final in tears with ankle injury; Argentina beat Colombia for 16th title

Lionel Messi left Sunday’s Copa América final against Colombia in tears after suffering an ankle injury in the second half.

At the end of the match he had a big smile on his face as Argentina won 1-0, thanks to a goal from Lautaro Martínez in the second half of extra time.

Messi exits the competition with a goalless draw

Messi fell to the grass in the 63rd minute and immediately signaled to the bench.

He limped to the sideline, but his Copa América was over. Messi left the match in the 66th minute for Nicolás González, with the score at a goalless draw.

Messi burst into tears on the bench when the moment came.

The exact nature of his injury was not initially clear, but he was seen on the bench with his right ankle wrapped in ice.

When the bandage was removed, a lump on his ankle became visible.

Messi initially appeared to suffer an injury in the first half after a tackle on the baseline. He grabbed his right ankle after the fall, but returned to the game.

Messi, 37, has been hampered by leg injuries that have limited him for much of the year, having injured his right thigh during the group stage against Chile. He was in Argentina’s group stage final against Peru, with Argentina having already secured a place in the knockout round of the tournament.

Argentina went into Sunday’s final as the reigning Copa América and World Cup champions. Messi, a record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner considered the world’s best player, smiled from the bench as Argentina secured their 16th Copa América title, breaking a tie with Uruguay for the most titles of all time. Colombia were denied their second.

Sunday’s Copa America final was chaotic before it even began. Fans at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium stormed the gates and broke through barriers to get in, whether they had tickets or not. Authorities temporarily opened the stadium’s gates to prevent injuries, saying there were “serious concerns that fans would be crushed to death trying to get in.”