"The Copa America is over and the first thing I want to thank everyone for the messages and greetings," Messi said on Instagram, one day after injuring his right ankle in the Copa final against Colombia in Miami.
Sunday's final, which Colombia lost to Argentina, started over an hour late after police initiated a lockdown that left hundreds of fans stuck outside Florida's Hard Rock Stadium. Videos on social media showed security scuffling with fans attempting to breach the gates.
Hard Rock Stadium will host seven games at the 2026 World Cup which the USA is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.
From the depths of despair to the heights of glory, Argentina's redemption story is a testament to perseverance and the indomitable spirit of camaraderie.
Cheering fans, many wrapped in Argentine flags, partied around the city's iconic Obelisk in the early hours of the morning despite the low temperatures of the southern hemisphere winter.
This was Messi’s fourth straight international title, having won the Copa America in 2021, the Finalissima in 2022 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022 before defending the Copa title this year in the USA.
"I don't know if it marks an era, but it's true this team never ceases to surprise, they overcame the difficulties of a very difficult match, with a very complicated opponent and without a good first half," Scaloni said.
"We could not ask those guys for anything more, they do not stop giving us joy amid all the economic tension that we live with day-to-day," said Pablo Rutz, a 26-year-old student.
Luis Suarez rescued Uruguay with an injury-time equaliser before the South Americans defeated Canada 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out to win the Copa America's third place playoff match on Saturday.
The final promises to be a fitting culmination to a tournament filled with drama, skill, and the enduring passion of South American football.
As the curtains draw on these continental extravaganzas, football fans will reflect on the highs and lows of an exhilarating, action-packed month, leaving them eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this beautiful game.
Affectionately known as El Fideo, Di María is a hero, part of a successful Argentine generation that has been prominent over the last decade: from the 2014 World Cup to the 2024 Copa America.
"We've had our players head-butted, we've had racial slurs thrown at our players live and through social media... We've been treated like second-class citizens."
Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal hopes for his side to win the Euro 2024 final against England in Berlin and Lionel Messi's Argentina triumph against Colombia in the Copa America final just hours later in Florida on Monday so that the duo can have a go at each other in the "Finalissima".
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa on Friday defended his players involved in a clash with Colombian fans after Wednesday's Copa America semifinal, saying "anyone would have reacted like that" to protect their families.
Playing against aging stars like Messi and Angel Di Maria, Valencia thinks Colombia have an advantage.
Can Los Cafetoeros etch their name in football folklore once again?
Players and staff from both Colombia and Uruguay were also involved in a confrontation on the field after the final whistle.
