Iran Press/ America: Lautaro Martinez, who was the competition’s leading scorer with five goals, blasted a shot past Colombia goalie Camilo Vargas on a breakaway following a turnover.
Argentina, who were the defending champions of the tournament as well as World Cup winners in 2022, were the favorites of the tournament and never trailed during the competition.
But they were forced to win the title without arguably the sport’s greatest player when Lionel Messi was subbed out in the 66th minute with an ankle injury.
The game was marred by a delay of more than an hour after fans, many of whom didn’t have tickets, rushed the stadium and tried to get inside.
The win marked Argentina’s third consecutive major title triumph following the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the previous Copa America, beating Brazil 1-0 in the final held in Rio di Janeiro.
Argentina also surpassed Uruguay for the most Copa America titles, having secured their 16th title in 30 final appearances.
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