Lionel Messi broke down in tears, sitting in the Argentine dug-out, as an injury brought an early end to his participation in the 2024 Copa America Final against Colombia being held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida today.

Messi, who captained Argentina to title win at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, suffered an injury to his leg during the second half of the title clash and was eventually substituted in the 64th minute.

Also Read: Copa America Final – Argentina vs Colombia

Messi went down while running on the pitch as he looked towards the Argentine bench as the trainers rushed onto the field to check on him. After being helped to his feet, the 37-year-old too his right shoe off.

Having realised he won’t be able to continue, Messi reluctantly began his walk off the field, taking off his captain’s armband before slamming his shoe to the ground.

Later, clips of an emotional Messi covering his face while crying on the Argentine bench went viral on social media with speculations rife this could be his last international fixture.

Messi was chasing a ball when he went down in the first half after landing awkwardly. He rolled over several times and grabbed at his lower right leg. Trainers worked on the area for a few minutes before helping him to his feet. He walked slowly toward the sideline before returning to the game.

Messi had been dealing with a leg injury and discomfort through much of the tournament and missed Argentina’s group stage finale. He had one shot attempt in the first half Sunday.

The start of the final between defending champions Argentina and Colombia was delayed by over 75 minutes due to crowd chaos at the venue. As per several reports. the organisers halted entry to the ground two hours before the kickoff as fans clashed with the security.

As per AFP, eventually the gates were thrown open resulting in a rush of fans into the venue without any ticket checks. Several fans were seen receiving treatment from paramedics inside the venue.

With AP Inputs

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