Argentina forward Angel Di Maria’s dream of winning the Copa America before retiring from international football came true as the world champions beat Colombia in the final.
It marks a third major tournament victory in a row after Lionel Messi and Co won the World Cup in 2022 and the previous edition of the Copa America as well.
Di Maria announced he would be putting on the famous blue and white shirt for the final time for the tournament, and he goes out as a winner again.
Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the game in extra time, latching on to a Giovani Lo Celso through ball and lifting his effort into the back of the net.
The goal seemed to please captain Messi, who was withdrawn in tears during the second half after being on the receiving end of a few heavy tackles.
Argentina’s victory ended Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak and an emotional Di Maria was delighted after the match.
Say hello to your 16-time CONMEBOL Copa America™️ champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/45aNRFmQhI
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ ENG (@copaamerica_ENG) July 15, 2024
He said: “The truth is, this was written, it was this way.
“I dreamed it, I dreamed that I would arrive to the final and win it and retire in this way.
“I have so many beautiful feelings and I am eternally grateful to this generation and today I am leaving in this way with a title.”
Head coach Lionel Scaloni added: “He’s had some spectacular games for us but today was one of the best.
“He had the energy to press high when others were faltering.
“He ran like he was 25. I tried to convince him to carry on, at least to play again in front of his public. He’s a legend.”
Di Maria will continue his domestic journey with Benfica for at least one more year, but when he eventually calls it quits in club football, he will be celebrated by the entire nation.
Proved his worth, as always.@MichelobUltraAr | #SuperiorPOTM pic.twitter.com/D1zAJKYMwe
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ ENG (@copaamerica_ENG) July 15, 2024
Heartbreak for Colombia
It was a close call for Colombia, who put in a valiant performance against their South American rivals.
They hit the post in the seventh minute of the match and had plenty of other opportunities to take the lead in normal time.
Former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez was one of the players who went close and he says his team will fight back to return to the final next time.
He said: “It hurts after a tournament that the whole team fought for, it hurts when you compete to win and we felt we deserved more.
“But we have to thank the people.
“We wanted to give the victory to a country that deserves it, Colombia deserves everything, and we leave empty-handed, but we will go on.”
An unforgettable tournament 🔟🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/aLonTVsFoS
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ ENG (@copaamerica_ENG) July 15, 2024
The match was delayed by nearly 90 minutes as issues with crowd control persisted in Miami.
Thousands of spectators are believed to have got in without a ticket, with one video emerging showing Colombian supporters climbing through ventilation shafts.
Many have called into question whether these issues will still exist when the USA host the 2026 World Cup.
The host nation and CONMEBOL remain under scrutiny for their lack of organisation at Copa America.
