Argentines taking to the streets to revel in their Copa América triumph inhabit a very different place now than they did 19 months ago, when their World Cup win sent millions surging into the same Buenos Aires square in a howl of collective celebration.

“Glorious,” Diego Cáceres, 38, recalled of Argentina’s massive open-air party on December 18, 2022.

“This is beautiful, too,” he said of Sunday’s crowds cheering and setting off fireworks around the capital’s landmark obelisk after Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in extra time to win its third straight major tournament Sunday night.

“But it’s a cherry-on-top, or a reminder. It makes me want to go back in time.”

Poverty stricken

Economic crisis has stalked Argentina for years. But today, annual inflation tops 270%. Almost 60% of the country’s 45 million people live in poverty.

Argentines have become worn out by the high-stakes anxiety of the news: Anti-government protests raging, labor strikes paralyzing cities, President Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” unveiling new spending cuts. This week their televisions flashed dire warnings about the peso hitting new lows against the dollar, dragging the value of their savings down with it.

The last time Cáceres celebrated his national team in this downtown square, he worked as a cook in various restaurants and rented an apartment. Today, he said, he’s unemployed and sleeps on the streets.

“Everything is horrible now,” he said after the game finally got underway in Miami after repeated delays due to fan congestion.

“Just when you think things can’t get more expensive, they do.”

Crisis after triumph

Some in this superstitious nation joke that they paid a steep price in Qatar for their first World Cup victory since 1986, pointing to the crises that followed the triumph.

“Has anyone checked the terms and conditions of winning the Copa América?” reads one post on X widely shared among Argentines. “I don’t know if I’m up for a second round of winning at any cost.”

But Argentines say that they needed this tournament, and this trophy, more than they could have imagined. For Argentina, South America’s biggest football championship offered not just glorious achievement but exquisite, if fleeting, escape.

“It’s our best entertainment, that’s what makes it so important,” said Erika Maya, a 47-year-old homeless mother of six, as she peered at the televised match through the glass of a locked restaurant door. “You can forget everything that’s going on, and just enjoy.”

Messi-inspired respite

For every new outrage over the last 24 days, Argentines have found the respite of obsessively watching their beloved national team, led by Lionel Messi, play for an hour and a half, generating moments of agony and excitement that reverberate all over this football-crazed country.

“Football is the fruit of our society, it’s what we’re proud of, it’s what we give to the world,” said 21-year-old soldier Fabrizo Diaz, who watched the match with his girlfriend.

As the game kicked off at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, restaurants in Buenos Aires shuttered, streets emptied and the sprawling city fell eerily silent, with most Argentines in thrall to their TVs at home as though under a COVID lockdown. The looming specter of Messi’s retirement has heightened football fever in recent weeks, with the 37-year-old captain’s noncommittal muses in televised interviews inducing, at turns, nationwide hope and despair.

“I believe Messi is going to continue. I don’t know if he’ll make it to the next World Cup, but this is not the end,” said 32-year-old Adrian Vallejos, watching the final with his wife and son. “I mean, God, I hope so.”

Messi’s persistent leg injuries — including a hurt ankle in the second-half of the final that forced him off the field — have drawn more attention than his performances during this Copa América. But Argentines breathed a sigh of relief when, asked by ESPN this week whether this match would be his last in blue-and-white, Messi refused to rule out playing in the 2026 World Cup.

“We’re at a very poignant transition for this team,” said Alejo Levoratti, a sports sociologist at Argentine research institute CONICET. “It’s only at the point of his retirement that Messi arrived at his best moment and found this connection with his team, this communion with Argentina.”

Another Argentine great of the same age, Ángel Di María, had announced Sunday’s match would be his last, fueling a broader sense of nostalgia about the national squad. He had tears in his eyes as he left the pitch to a standing ovation after Argentina’s breakthrough goal. “I dreamt of retiring like this,” he told reporters afterward.

Successful run

After years of disappointments in international tournaments, the Argentine team has, more recently, clinched triumph after triumph — 2021 Copa América, 2022 inaugural Finalissima match, 2022 World Cup — exhilarating its troubled country again and again.

President Milei, who had a short stint as a goalie for the professional football team Chacarita Juniors, congratulated the national team in an all-caps message on X: “WE ARE CHAMPIONS AGAIN…!!!”

In litter-strewn downtown Buenos Aires, the site of so many protests in recent weeks, national pride appeared, briefly, restored. Friends and strangers draped in Argentinean flags and jerseys hugged and jumped up and down, some singing “Muchachos,” the unofficial anthem of the 2022 World Cup, others chanting Messi’s name.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning Copa America 2024 on July 14, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Argentina won its second straight Copa America championship, overcoming Lionel Messi’s second-half leg injury to beat Colombia 1-0 Sunday night on Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute goal.

Messi appeared to sustain a non-contact injury while running and falling in the 64th minute and covered his face with his hands as he sat on the bench and sobbed.

Martínez later ran to that bench to hug his captain after the goal that propelled Argentina to its record 16th Copa title.

Late start

In a match that started 1 hour, 22 minutes late because of crowd trouble at Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina won its third straight major title following the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup and matched Spain, which won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships around the 2010 World Cup.

Argentina also stopped Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak dating to a February 2022 loss to the Albiceleste.

Martínez entered in the 97th minute and scored from Giovani Lo Celso’s perfect through pass. Just inside the penalty area, Martínez sent a right-foot shot through the upraised arms of sliding goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his 29th international goal, his tournament-high fifth.

Making his 39th and possibly last Copa America appearance at age 37, Messi had one goal in the tournament. He went down after an ankle was stepped on in the first half but remained in the game.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner looked to the bench as soon as he fell to the field in the second half, appearing to know his tournament was over. He took off his right boot as he walked off and slammed it frustration, and his ankle appeared to swell.

Crowd control issues

Days after Uruguay players were involved in a brawl with Colombia fans following their semifinal match in Charlotte, North Carolina, video showed fans climbing fences and railings to get inside the championship match, with officials unable to keep track of who had purchased tickets and who didn’t.

Colombia was more aggressive and forced goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to make four saves in the first half, but Argentina began to threaten more in the second.

Nicolás Tagliafico thought he scored in the 75th minute but was ruled offside. Nicolás González, who replaced Messi. was stopped by Vargas in the 95th minute.

Numerous players lost their footing during the second half of Sunday’s match. The grass was heavily watered with sprinklers following the halftime performance by Colombian pop star Shakira, which caused an extended halftime break.

Fans of Colombia fight with fans and players of Uruguay during the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 semifinal match between Uruguay and Colombia at Bank of America Stadium on July 10, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

Uruguay striker Luis Suárez defended his teammates’ decision to enter the stands following a 1-0 loss to Colombia in the Copa America semifinals, saying the action was necessary to defend families and supporters.

After a physical and emotional game that included seven yellow cards and one red card, players exchanged words and shoves at midfield of Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night.

Uruguay players, including Darwin Núñez, noticed an altercation behind the team’s bench and about a dozen or so players then climbed into the stands as the melee continued.

Some players were seen throwing punches before Charlotte Mecklenburg Police officers and stadium security restored order after about 10 minutes.

“Obviously when one has your woman, your little child, your father, elderly people you want to go and see if they’re OK,” Suárez said.

“Here these things, it’s an image that no one wants to have created but obviously if someone is attacking your family you want to go and defend them. But that doesn’t justify the image that it created. We had to protect our families that were there.”

CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing body, said Thursday its disciplinary committee opened an investigation.

“It is unacceptable that an incident like this turns passion into violence,” the statement said.

Suárez said he could see family members and children in the crowd and he worried about their safety. More than 70,000 fans attended the game, and at least 90% cheered for Colombia and wore their bright yellow colors.

“(They) were trapped and things were falling on them and you felt helpless,” Suárez said.

Uruguay’s José María Giménez called the situation a “disaster“. “Our family is in danger,” Giménez told Fox.

“We had to get on top of the stands ASAP to rescue our loved ones with babies. … It’s a disaster because all of the matches are the same. Our families are in danger because of some who drink one or two shots of alcohol that don’t know to drink and behave like children.”

Stadium seating choices for families and friends of players were arranged by Uruguayan soccer’s governing body. More protected luxury suites were an option. The Uruguayan soccer association has not made a public statement on the fight.

“There was some argument in the midfield, and when I saw that happening, I went to the locker room. I thought they were thanking the fans for their support,” Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said after the game.

“But then I learned there were some problems over there, unfortunately.”

CONMEBOL has not said if any Uruguay players face suspension for entering the stands or throwing punches at Colombia fans.

The governing body released a statement after the game saying it condemns any act of violence and that “we invite everyone in the remaining days to pour all of their passion into cheering on their national teams and having an unforgettable party.”

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department has not said whether arrests were made, and stadium officials have not commented publicly.

Colombia’s Jefferson Lerma, left, shoots as Uruguay’s Sebastian Caceres defends during a Copa America semifinal soccer match in Charlotte, N.C., on July 10, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Jefferson Lerma scored in the 39th minute, and Colombia played a man short the entire second half in a 1-0 win over Uruguay on Wednesday night to reach the Copa America final against Lionel Messi and Argentina.

Daniel Muñoz was ejected in first-half stoppage time for his second yellow card, but Colombia held on to reach the championship for the first time since winning its only Copa title as host in 2001. Colombia extended its unbeaten streak to a team record 28 games, one more than from 1992-94 and the longest current streak in men’s football.

In a contentious match that included seven yellow cards and one red, players from both teams pushed and shoved in a scrum on the field at the final whistle and some players went into the stands to scrap with fans.

Defending champion Argentina and Colombia meet Sunday night at Miami Gardens, Florida.

Before an overwhelmingly pro-Colombia crowd at Bank of America Stadium, filled with yellow jerseys and flags, Uruguay fell behind for the first time in the tournament.

James Rodríguez’s corner kick was headed in from short range by Lerma, who outjumped José María Giménez for his third international goal and second of the tournament. Rodríguez has six assists in the tournament — triple the total of any other player.

Muñoz received his first yellow card from Mexican referee César Ramos in the 31st minute for a reckless slide tackle on Maximiliano Araújo and his second for elbowing Manuel Ugarte in the stomach.

Rodríguez was given a yellow card in the 55th minute for arguing with Ramos when the referee failed to stop play when Richard Ríos was kicked on a shin by Darwin Núñez.

Ríos was removed on a stretcher, re-entered the match, then went down in another challenge and was substituted in the 62nd minute. Rodríguez was removed at the same time to keep him eligible for the final.

Colombia goalkeeper Federico Valverde didn’t have to make his first save until he stopped Nicolás de la Cruz in the 68th minute.

Luis Suárez, Uruguay’s career leader with 68 goals, entered in the 66th minute and hit the outside of a post with a shot in the 71st.

Colombia’s Mateus Uribe, another second-half sub, put an open shot wide in the 88th, and Uribe’s open shot in the fourth minute of stoppage time ricocheted off the body of sliding goalkeeper Sergio Rochet and then the crossbar.

The match was played in 90-degree heat on a surface that was converted from artificial turf to grass in the weeks leading up the game.

Argentina is seeking a record 16th Copa America title and is looking to join Spain as the only countries to win three straight major titles.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Canada during a Copa America semifinal match in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Defending champions Argentina booked their place in the Copa America final after goals from Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi gave them a 2-0 win over Canada in July 9th’s semi-final in New Jersey.

Argentina have won a joint-record 15 Copa titles and reached the final six times in the past eight editions but Canada caused them problems in the opening 20 minutes, with Jacob Shaffelburg twice shooting wide from promising positions.

After soaking up the early pressure Argentina went ahead when Rodrigo De Paul played through Alvarez, who ghosted in between two defenders to score with a tidy finish in the 22nd minute.

2022 World Cup winners Argentina gradually took control of the match and Messi had a chance to double their lead in the 44th minute as he created space in the box with silky footwork before lashing his effort wide.

Canada nearly snatched an equaliser against the run of play in first-half stoppage time as Jonathan David sneaked in ahead of his marker to get on the end of a long throw, but his close-range shot was hit straight at goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Messi then scored Argentina’s second in the 51st minute when he stuck out a boot to divert Enzo Fernandez’s shot from the edge of the area past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

The goal moved Messi to joint fifth in the all-time Copa America scoring charts, level with Peru’s Paolo Guerrero and Chile’s Eduardo Vargas on 14.

The 37-year-old’s 109th goal for Argentina also saw him surpass Iran’s Ali Daei on the all-time international scoring charts. Messi is second behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 130 goals for Portugal.

Despite their two-goal cushion, Argentina had a nervy finish to the match as Canada substitute Tani Oluwaseyi tested Martinez with a crisp shot in the 89th minute before directing a glancing header wide a minute later.

Argentina will take on either Uruguay or Colombia, who meet on July 10, in the final in Florida on July 14.