Argentina clinch Copa America amid chaos

by

Argentina

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Argentina
secured
a
record
16th
Copa
America
title
with
a
tense
1-0
victory
over
Colombia,
but
the
night
was
far
from
smooth
sailing.

Pre-game
chaos
outside
the
Hard
Rock
Stadium
in
Miami
overshadowed
the
match,
forcing
an
80-minute
delay
to
kick-off.
Ticketless
fans
attempted
entry,
leading
to
clashes
with
police
and
security,
long
waits
for
legitimate
ticket
holders
in
the
sweltering
heat,
and
several
arrests.

The
disruptions
continued
at
halftime
with
a
25-minute
concert
by
Shakira,
a
decision
heavily
criticised
by
Colombia’s
coach.

On
the
pitch,
the
match
itself
was
a
low-scoring
affair
played
in
hot
and
humid
conditions.
Lautaro
Martinez
emerged
as
the
hero,
scoring
the
winning
goal
in
the
second
half
of
extra
time
and
securing
the
Golden
Boot
with
five
goals
overall.

Argentina
had
a
goal
disallowed
for
offside
with
15
minutes
remaining,
while
Colombia’s
best
chance
came
from
Jhon
Cordoba’s
shot
that
hit
the
woodwork
in
the
first
half.

Adding
to
the
drama,
Argentina
captain
Lionel
Messi
was
left
in
tears
after
a
second-half
injury
forced
him
off
the
pitch.
Despite
the
setback,
he
later
joined
the
celebrations
for
Argentina’s
third
consecutive
major
tournament
win
(Copa
America
2021,
World
Cup
2022).

This
victory
comes
amid
questions
about
Messi’s
future
with
the
national
team.
The
37-year-old
has
yet
to
decide
on
playing
in
the
next
World
Cup,
which
will
also
be
held
in
North
America.

The
match
also
marked
the
international
retirement
of
Angel
di
Maria
after
a
stellar
career
with
145
caps
for
Argentina.

Beyond
the
on-field
drama,
the
pre-game
delays
raise
serious
concerns
for
the
Hard
Rock
Stadium’s
ability
to
handle
the
influx
of
fans
expected
during
the
2026
World
Cup.
Player
safety
was
also
a
concern,
with
reports
of
families
being
caught
up
in
the
chaos
outside
the
stadium.

Colombia’s
impressive
28-game
unbeaten
streak
came
to
an
end,
but
their
wait
for
a
second
Copa
America
title
continues.