Heartbroken Lionel Messi cries his eyes out on bench as sickening injury forces him out of Copa America final win
LIONEL MESSI was left heartbroken and in floods of tears after an injury forced him to come off in the Copa America final.
The Argentina captain, 37, ended up lifting his second successive Copa America trophy on Sunday night as Lautaro Martinez’s extra-time goal handed the world champions a 1-0 win over Colombia in Florida.
But it was a rollercoaster of a night for the Barcelona icon after he hobbled off in the 66th minute.
Messi awkwardly tripped and went down while chasing the ball in the first half but returned to the pitch following medical attention.
However, midway through the second period he was unable to continue and cut a devastated figure as he was replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez.
Once he got to the bench, Messi began crying uncontrollably as the realisation he could no longer help his team-mates set in.
It is also expected to be his last game at a major tournament for Argentina.
Later in the match, the cameras panned to his right ankle after he had taken his sock off and the swelling was a shocking sight.
But that pain will have subsided somewhat when Inter Milan striker Martinez bagged the winning goal eight minutes from the end of extra time.
Messi then went up to lift the trophy with the rest of his Argentina team-mates as the squad celebrated yet another triumph.
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It is the country’s third successive major tournament victory following the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup.
Earlier this week, Messi confirmed this was to be his last Copa America, having already lifted the World Cup in his fifth and final appearance.
He said: “For me it’s the last Copa. We played the last World Cup.
“[Di Maria, Otamendi] and I are playing the last battles and we are enjoying it to the fullest.”
Messi’s tears came just weeks after long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo also broke down at what could be his final major tournament with Portugal.
The ex-Real Madrid superstar, 39, was reduced to tears after missing a penalty in his side’s last-16 win over Slovenia.
Portugal were eliminated by France in the quarter-finals.
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Mum Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro was spotted distraught in the stands after Jan Oblak brilliantly foiled Ron’s spot-kick in Portugal’s last-16 nail-biter with Slovenia.
But there was a stirring twist for the Manchester United legend when the contest went to a shootout.
Ron not only scored but APOLOGISED to Portugal fans – as his side wrapped up a 3-0 win on penalties following the 0-0 draw.
However, it had looked so different in the 105th minute – when Oblak plunged full length to tip Ron’s powerful penalty away.
The 39-year-old striker at first just put his head in his hands and carried on.
But when the first period of the additional half-hour ended a few seconds later, his emotions erupted.
Team-mates tried to console Ron as tears streamed out, seemingly uncontrollably.