(Buenos Aires) Lionel Messi wept bitterly after leaving a Copa America final before the end of the match for the first time in his career.
On Sunday, the tears of the Argentine captain had a deeper source than the pain he had in his right ankle.
Despite winning the title in one of his “last battles”, as Messi described this Copa, the 37-year-old star failed to pass the fitness test that could have paved the way for him to play in his sixth World Cup in 2026.
Argentina successfully defended their South American title with a 1-0 win in added time.
Messi left the Hard Rock Stadium pitch in the 64th minutee minute, collapsing without being touched.
Limping, Messi modestly celebrated his second Copa title.
It was his first major tournament since leaving European soccer to play in MLS.
Over the past year, he has missed several games with Inter Miami or Argentina due to muscle problems.
Messi felt this type of pain in his right leg during the second group match against Chile, which ruled him out of the next match, against Peru.
He was ineffective in the quarter-finals against Ecuador and missed his chances in the penalties.
He scored his only goal of the tournament in the semi-final against Canada, in a 2-0 victory for his team.