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Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez won the Copa America 2024 Golden Boot (AP)
Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez won the Copa America 2024 golden boot with five goals, including the all-important one in the final.
Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez won the Copa America 2024 Golden Boot award having become the highest goal scorer of the competition. Martinez claimed the award having guided Argentina to the Copa America 2024 title scoring a vital goal against Colombia in the final. Martinez caps off his triumphant Copa America 2024 campaign netting five goals. This is also his first Copa America Golden Boot trophy. The 26-year-old scored in all of Argentina’s first three games of the tournament. In the quarter-final against Ecuador, Martinez had scored the opening goal of the fixture. In the summit clash, the Inter Milan striker netted the solitary goal of the fixture in extra time.
Argentina won a record 16th Copa America trophy and defended the title in an emphatic fashion but their captain Lionel Messi failed to feature in the final fully. The Argentine legend apparently suffered an ankle injury in the second half and he was subbed off after 65 minutes of play. Messi was replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar was spotted crying inconsolably after coming off the pitch in what could very well turn out to be his final appearance in a major international tournament.
Copa America Final: Argentina vs Colombia – HIGHLIGHTS
Argentina’s win against Colombia helped them in moving ahead of Uruguay having been tied on 15 Copa America titles each. The Copa America 2024 victory also marked Angel di Maria’s final appearance in international football.
“The truth is, this was written, it was this way. I dreamed it, I dreamed that I would arrive to the final and win it and retire in this way. I have so many beautiful feelings and I am eternally grateful to this generation and today I am leaving in this way with a title,” Angel Di Maria said as per Reuters.
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Recalling Lionel Messi’s injury Angel di Maria revealed, “Messi had to leave because of that ankle problem but finally we were able to give him some joy,”
The Copa America 2024 final also brought an end to a record 28-match unbeaten streak for Colombia. Prior to the game against Argentina, Colombia’s last defeat had come against La Albiceleste in February 2022.
