Heartbroken Lionel Messi cries and hurls boot in anger after being forced off injured during Copa America final
Nicolás González took Lionel Messi's position after he was forced off the field due to injury during the second half of the Copa America final.
PTC News Desk: After being taken off injured during the second half of the 2024 Copa America final against Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Argentina captain Lionel Messi was left devastated.
Messi slid down on the ground and clutched his ankle in the 64th minute of the game, clearly in pain as the two teams attempted in vain to break the deadlock. As Nicolás González replaced the World Cup-winning captain shortly after, it is possible that he injured himself by planting his right foot awkwardly during the game.
With his right shoe in his hand, Messi hobbled off the field before tossing the boot in a fit of rage. And Messi broke down in tears as he remained on the bench with just 26 minutes remaining before regulation time ended. His teammates comforted him as he sobbed uncontrollably and covered his face in great despair at the injury and, more importantly, at not being able to play in the final.
The broadcasters even captured footage of his taped right ankle while the Miami audience erupted in chants of "Messi, Messi," to which Colombian supporters retorted with "James! James! James!"
Less than ten minutes remained in the first half of the game when Messi went down after tripping during a chase following an out-of-bounds pass. He grabbed at his lower right leg and rolled over multiple times. After tending to the region for a short while, trainers assisted him in standing up. He made his way cautiously over to the sidelines and then got back into the game.
Messi was absent from Argentina's group stage match because he had been battling pain and an injury to his leg for the majority of the competition. On Sunday, he attempted one shot in the first half.
Earlier in the evening, thousands of ticketless fans attempted to break through security and enter the stadium, causing the Copa America final to start later than scheduled. Videos of supporters sprinting across concourses and attempting to break through the Hard Rock Stadium gates went popular on social media.
Many fans were stuck outside trying to enter before the match started when police later closed the gates and imposed a lockdown. As the mayhem outside grew, both teams were removed from the field.
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