Lionel Messi was unable to play the entire Copa America 2024 final due to injury. The image of Messi sitting on the bench crying with his right leg swollen is spreading rapidly on social media.
On the morning of July 15, the Copa America 2024 final between Argentina and Colombia took place in Miami, USA. The match was delayed more than an hour from 7:00 to 8:15 due to security issues.
With so many expectations, the final match with Messi did not go smoothly. He was constantly in pain and lying on the field from the first half until the beginning of the second half. Then coach Lionel Scaloni was forced to take Messi off the field, replacing him with Nicolás González in the 66th minute.
The moment Messi left the field, the Argentine fans at Hard Rock Stadium all stood up, many of them covering their faces in tears.
Then, when he sat on the bench, Messi also “suddenly burst into tears” sobbing. The television camera repeatedly filmed the tear-stained face of the world’s best player.
Fortunately, Argentina then won 1-0 against Colombia with the only goal from Lautaro Martínez in the 112th minute.
As soon as he scored this goal, Lautaro Martinez and the Argentine players ran onto the field to hug Messi in celebration. This shows how great Messi’s influence is on the Argentine national team.
After this match, pictures of Messi’s swollen foot appeared on social media and it went viral. Many people were very worried and did not know how long this injury would keep Messi off the field.
