Argentina won the 16th Copa America record, defeating Colombia.

At Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 to win a record 16th Copa America championship thanks to a goal by Lautaro Martinez in extra time.

A low-scoring match that was plagued by crowd disturbances and security concerns, resulting in an 82-minute interruption, was won by a superb strike from substitute Martinez, who emerged as the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals.

Before the festivities began, though, there were tears. In the 66th minute, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi was hurt and spent the remainder of the match in agony on the sidelines. In addition, Angel Di Maria had an emotional send-off in his last match as a member of the national team.

It was a sad night for Colombia, who were undefeated in 28 games and whose last championship came from the 2001 Copa America, as not much seemed to be working for Nestor Lorenzo’s team.

Fans accused the lack of an effective admission system for the turmoil surrounding stadium entry, while organizers blamed supporters for attempting to enter without tickets.

The sights were concerning, with some supporters in critical condition due to heat exhaustion; nonetheless, the issue was mostly addressed and the game proceeded after it was decided to quickly fling open the gates without any security checks.

Jhon Corboba of Colombia had a speculative effort that went just wide of the post in the seventh minute, but neither team was able to establish a rhythm early on.

In the 20th minute, Camilo Vargas of Colombia stopped Messi’s left-footed attempt after Di Maria sent a low ball into the box.

Colombia appeared more energetic in the first half, and they had a chance in the 33rd minute when Jefferson Lerma attempted a low shot from 25 yards out, forcing Emiliano Martinez to make a diving stop.

When Messi dribbled to the byline in the 36th minute, Santiago Arias’ sliding challenge, which was judged fair, stopped him, raising concerns and necessitated medical attention for the Argentine captain.

Messi then curled a free kick in from the left flank, but Nicolas Tagliafico’s header missed the mark. Messi currently plays club football in Miami.

The first half had been underwhelming, and after the break—during which at least Colombian singer Shakira provided some entertainment for the fans—things didn’t get much better.

After Argentina failed to stop a corner kick from James Rodriguez, the ball looped to Davinson Sanchez, who was unable to stop his header from going over the bar.

When Di Maria made one of his signature runs in from the left, forcing Vargas to make a save, the Colombian goalkeeper turned the ball wide of the post. That was finally some of the expected quality.

Then, when Messi was running in midfield, he tumbled down without making contact with the ball. Clearly in pain, he left the game in the 66th minute to be replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez, dealing a serious blow to Argentina’s chances.

Messi could not contain his emotions as he sat in tears on the sideline, suggesting that this may have been his final big event.

When Tagliafico found Gonzalez in the area, the Argentine fans thought they had won when Gonzalez beat Vargas with a low drive, but the shot was disallowed for offside.

After a flick from Jorge Carrascal, Miguel Borja had a half-chance in extra time, but a deserving winner sealed the victory.

With a well-timed tackle, Leandro Paredes won the ball for Argentina in midfield. Giovani Lo Celso then found Martinez, who was moving freely and confidently finished with a first-time pass that was ideal for him.

To thunderous ovation, Di Maria—who had just left the field for the final time while wearing an Argentina shirt—said the team’s “Triple Crown” accomplishment deserved recognition.

“It looks simple, but it’s really challenging. I am aware of this since I spent ten, eleven, and more years on the other side. Reaching and winning the finals is not an easy feat,” he remarked.

Argentine coach Lorenzo of Colombia claimed that his team had experienced physical difficulties.

“The boys experienced some fatigue from the tournament as they participated in six games over the course of 21 days,” he remarked, adding that some players had experienced cramps in the later stages.