Argentina captain Lionel Messi was left devasted during the second half of the 2024 Copa America final against Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami after he was forced off injured.

In the 64th minute of the match, as the two teams desperately looked to break the deadlock, Messi was seen visibly in pain as he went down on the ground, clutching his ankle. He might have planted his right foot awkwardly during the match, which could have resulted in the injury as the World Cup-winning captain was soon replaced by Nicolás González.

Messi limped his way off the field with his right shoe in the hand, before hurling the boot in anger. And as he sat on the bench with still 26 minutes left on the clock for the end of the regulation time, Messi was left in tears. He cried profusely, covering his face in sheer disappointment at the injury, and more so at him not being able to participate in the final any longer, before being consoled by his teammates.

Footage by the broadcasters even showed that his right ankle was taped with ice as the Miami crowd broke into "Messi, Messi" chants, to which Colombia fans responded with "James! James! James!"

Earlier in the opening half of the match, with less than 10 minutes left for the half-time whistle, Messi went down after landing awkwardly when chasing a ball out of bounds. He rolled over several times as he grabbed at his lower right leg. Trainers worked on the area for a few minutes before helping him to his feet. He walked slowly toward the sideline before returning to the game.

Messi had been dealing with a leg injury and discomfort through much of the tournament and missed Argentina's group stage finale. He had one shot attempt in the first half Sunday.

Earlier in the evening, the Copa America final witnessed a delayed start after thousands of fans without tickets rushed security and tried to force their way into the stadium. In the videos that went viral on social media, fans could be seen running across the concourses and attempted to breach the gates of the Hard Rock Stadium.

Police later closed the gates and initiated a lockdown, which left many spectators stuck outside trying to enter before the match kicked off. Both teams were taken off the field as the chaos brewed outside.

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