Argentina Wins Record 16th Copa America Title

Argentina won the 2024 Copa America championship after defeating Colombia 1-0 on Monday. It was Argentina's 16th Copa title in history. Lautaro Martinez’s 112th-minute goal propelled the team to register a significant victory at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. With this victory, the world champions also ended Colombia’s 28-match unbeaten run.

Notably, it was Argentina's third consecutive major title triumph after winning the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022. At the same time, the team had to play most of the match without Lionel Messi, as the skipper left during the second half with an apparent ankle injury. The 37-year-old exited the field in the 64th minute and had to watch the reminder of the game from the sidelines. 

Meanwhile, Argentina winger Angel Di Maria has retired from the national team. The 36-year-old had earlier announced that he would retire after the tournament. "It was written. It had to be like this," the Argentinean football icon reportedly said after the final game.

Earlier, the Copa America final was delayed by more than an hour as fans broke through one of the main entry gates. According to a Reuters report, police managed to close the gates later and initiate a lockdown.