Due to injury, Leo was forced to leave the field during second half of the final match against Colombia.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi was injured in the final match of the Copa America 2024 against Colombia, after which he could not contain his emotions and burst into tears.
Messi entered the field in the starting lineup, but failed to finish the match. Leo was injured in the 36th minute of the match, colliding with Colombian defender Santiago Aryas.
Despite this, the 37-year-old football player continued to play. Messi fell on the lawn twice and asked for help from doctors, but in the second half he was still forced to leave the field early. In the 66th minute, Lionel was replaced due to injury and left the field with tears on his face, and then continued to sob on the bench.
Son lágrimas de líder, Leo pic.twitter.com/5XUSSYUVXg
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ (@CopaAmerica) July 15, 2024
At the end of the match, the broadcast showed what Messi’s leg looked like after the injury. The player's ankle is very swollen.
Admiration at Messi's ankle pic.twitter.com/M3cgzIpyf6
– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 15, 2024
However, this did not stop the Albiceleste captain from returning to the field during the award ceremony. Argentina snatched a victory over Colombia (1:0) in extra-times andwon the 2024 Copa America. It was Messi who was the first to lift the won trophy over his head.
After the end of the match, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni commented on Messi's emotions.
“Leo has something that everyone should have “He is the best in history, and even with a swollen ankle, he did not want to leave the field, not because he is selfish, but because he did not want to let his teammates down,” The Athletic quotes the Argentinean coach.
Note that the severity of Messi's injury and the timing of his recovery will become known later.
Leo himself previously stated that the 2024 America's Cup would be the last of his career. At the same time, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has not yet decided whether he will play for the Argentina national team at the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina has become the absolute record holder for the number of trophies won at the Copa America. Now the Albiceleste has 16 such titles, which is one more than Uruguay has. The top 3 is completed by Brazil with 9 victories.