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Lionel Messi’s quest to lead Argentina to a second straight Copa America title ended in heartbreaking fashion, as he suffered a non-contact injury in the second half of Sunday’s final against Colombia and had to be subbed off.
Messi suffered the injury in the 64th minute with the game locked in a scoreless tie.
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Messi goes down in pain here pic.twitter.com/dsg8f7j8mz
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Another look at that non-contact play that led to Messi being subbed off pic.twitter.com/07OzBJjDb8
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Messi’s swollen ankle 😬 pic.twitter.com/dtZ1mQUogV
The 37-year-old was visibly emotional when he went to the bench:
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Football isn’t fair 💔
(via @FOXSoccer) pic.twitter.com/PifGdolAEe
Messi had suffered an ankle injury earlier in the match and was tended to for quite some time in the first half before opting to continue competing. When he went down in the second half, he immediately signaled to the bench that something wasn’t right. He was replaced by Nicolás González.
Messi had been working through a leg injury that hindered him throughout this year’s tournament. He was forced to miss Argentina’s group stage finale against Peru. His goal against Canada in the semifinal was his first of the tournament and his 109th of his career.
Argentina is attempting to continue its recent run of success that includes a 2021 Copa America title and a 2022 World Cup victory. Messi has been an integral part of the team’s dominance, and while the injury limited him in this year’s tournament, his presence helps galvanize Argentina and gives his teammates confidence.
Without Messi, Argentina is facing a tough battle against a Colombia team that is motivated to extend its recent unbeaten streak. Both teams failed to capture any momentum in regulation and were forced to go to extra time.