Argentina were dealt a major blow when Enzo Fernandez was shown a red card, leaving the hosts with ten men for a large portion of the match. Colombia capitalised on the numerical advantage early, taking the lead through Luis Diaz in the 24th minute.
Since making his senior debut in 2005, Messi has scored 112 goals in 192 appearances for Argentina, winning the World Cup in 2022, two Copa America titles and a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The win secured the top spot for Argentina in the CONMEBOL standings.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said on Wednesday he had yet to decide whether captain Lionel Messi would start in their next World Cup qualifier against Chile, as he continues to closely monitor the 37-year-old's fitness.
Already assured of their place in the 2026 World Cup, Argentina will travel to Santiago (play against Chile on June 06) and then host Colombia (June 11) at the Monumental Stadium.
“No, yes in a joking tone we often talk, but he has those desires to play the World Cup next year too,” Suarez told Ovacion.
The result in the match held in the Bolivian city of El Alto guaranteed the 2022 World Cup winners a top-six finish and direct qualification for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said their 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Friday's World Cup qualifier in Montevideo showed the depth of their squad after Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybia all missed out due to injury.
Argentina edged to the brink of qualification for the 2026 World Cup on Friday after a superb strike from Thiago Almada earned them a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Montevideo.
Paris Olympics organisers are looking into what led to a pitch invasion during the opening match of the Olympic soccer tournament between Argentina and Morocco, they said on Thursday.
The rankings come after a busy month for football, with Argentina beating Colombia to win the Copa America and Spain defeating England to win the European Championship.
FIFA said on Wednesday it was opening an investigation into racist chants by Argentina players after they won the Copa America.
The video, posted by Argentina international Fernandez on his Instagram account, featured a song sung by some of the Argentina squad about France's players.
The chants were heard during a live video posted on social media by Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from the team bus in the wake of the Copa victory over Colombia in Miami on Sunday.
"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.
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.
