Argentina won their second successive Copa America title on Monday after defeating Colombia 1-0 in the 2024 final. Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the match in the second half of extra time, following a goalless draw in normal time.
After scoring the match’s first goal in the 112th minute, which later proved to be the winner, Martinez ran to the bench to hug his captain, Lionel Messi. The star footballer had been forced to leave the field in the 66th minute due to a non-contact injury he sustained two minutes before his substitution. Messi injured his ankle after a fall while running, and Nicolas Gonzalez replaced him with the scores tied.
The game remained goalless in normal time, but Martinez secured the victory in the second half of extra time after entering the field in the 97th minute. In the 112th minute, Giovani Lo Celso’s perfectly timed through pass found Martinez just outside the box. The striker then fired a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his 29th international goal and his tournament-leading fifth goal.
