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On Sunday, Argentina defeated Columbia to win the 2024 Copa America final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. On Monday, Spain defeated England in the Euro 2024 final and made history. Likewise, it was Argentina’s time to win their 16th title and make history by becoming the most successful team in the Copa America football tournament history.
Copa America is a football competition for countries in South America, The tournament started in 1916 as the South American Football Championship. The Copa America is the oldest running football tournament in the world.
At the start of the 2024 Copa America, Argentina was tied with Uruguay as the most successful team in the tournament, with both sides having 15 titles each. While Uruguay finished third in the 2024 Copa America, Argentina won the title and broke Uruguay’s record.
How Argentina Won Their 16th Title
The match started an hour late, but it was a thrilling final on Sunday. Even after 90 minutes, the winner was yet to be decided as the first and second half were goalless. Lionel Messi was substituted in the second half, but his teammates stepped up in the absence of the star player. Messi was substituted with an injury. After being subbed, the starplayer wept.
Without Messi, Argentina kept going and they finally broke through in the 112th minute. It was the top scorer of Copa America, Martizez Lautaro who scored the goal. This was his fifth goal of the tournament. The goal bought Argentina their 16th Copa America title. This was Argentina’s second Copa America title in a row, they won the titles in 2021 and 2024.
Copa America Final: A Roller-Coaster of Emotions
The defending champions defended their title. Lionel Messi wept and laughed. James Rodriguez won hearts. The 2024 Copa America final was full of emotions. In the end, World Cup champions stood tall and wrote their names in the record books.
Argentina won their third consecutive major title following the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup. Messi’s national team matched Spain, which won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships with the World Cup in 2010. This was the perfect farewell for Angel Di Maria.
Fans were overjoyed with Argentina lifting the title, but they were sad as Angel De Maria said goodbye to international football. Argentinean football star Di Maria has retired from the national team as a Copa America champion, a feat he wanted to achieve again before retiring.
Di Maria had a 16-year international career filled with back-to-back titles. Di Maria played 144 matches and scored 31 goals. 36-year-old Di Maria said, “I dreamed it, I dreamed that I would arrive at the final and win it and retire in this way.
Cristiana Ronaldo had an injury and was forced to watch the Euro 2016 final from the pavilion, likewise, Lionel Messi also had an injury and was forced to watch the Copa America 2024 final from the pavilion. The results of both finals were in favor of the football legends.