BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi cried uncontrollably for the first time in his career after being ejected from the Copa America final before the end of the game.
He suffered severe pain in his right ankle during Sunday night’s game in Miami Gardens, but the tears on the Argentina captain’s face betrayed a deeper anguish.
Despite winning the Copa title in what Messi described as his “last battle”, the 37-year-old superstar failed a fitness test that could pave the way for a sixth World Cup appearance in 2026.
Argentina successfully defended their South American title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Colombia in extra time after Messi collapsed and left the pitch at Hard Rock Stadium in the 64th minute.
The Copa was Messi’s first major tournament since leaving European football to play in the less competitive Major League Soccer in the United States, but he missed several games for his Inter Miami and Argentina national team last year because of muscle problems.
Messi suffered muscle strain in his right leg during the second group stage match against Chile and missed the following match against Peru. He had an unimpressive performance in the quarter-final against Ecuador, missing a penalty shootout opportunity, and scored the only goal of the tournament in a 2-0 win over Canada in the semi-final.
Despite limping, Messi celebrated his second Copa America title subtly on the pitch, with the star player still dealing with the injury on Monday.
“One more thing,” he said on his social media channels.
Messi did not speak to the media after the injury, and Argentina did not disclose details of the injury.
While Messi’s international retirement is still pending, other players over the age of 35 are likely to have played their final major international tournament, including winger Angel Di Maria (36), defender Nicolas Otamendi (36) and reserve goalkeeper Franco Armani (37).
Argentina has a promising roster and an average age of 28, not including veterans, which is one reason they played so well against Colombia despite missing 56 minutes of their star player.
“I don’t know if we’ve made an era, but this team always surprises us, they bounce back from difficulties,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “When (Messi) leaves, new players come in, the team doubles and we play better in a different way.”
Young players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Valentin Carboni, Thiago Almada, Claudio Etxeberri and Valentin Barco may not compare to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, but they could help Argentina remain competitive as they attempt to defend their title at the 2026 World Cup.
Key players such as goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, defender Cristian Romero, midfielder Rodrigo de Paul and striker Lautaro Martinez are likely to remain.
Argentina faces Chile and Colombia in World Cup qualifiers in September as they sit top of South America, and the international matches could provide further clues as to whether Messi’s saga will continue or end with a win on Sunday.
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