Here’s why you won’t see the legendary Messi in Paris.
If you’re watching Argentina play in the 2024 Paris Olympics, you may be wondering: where’s Lionel Messi?
The answer is that he’s not on Argentina’s team this time around, and there’s a good reason why.
Given that he just played the Copa America and helped his country in the title there, he said he wouldn’t join the team given how much of a workload he’d be shouldering, especially at his age, and given his absence from his current team, the MLS’s Inter Miami. The injury he suffered in the Copa America final might have kept him out for a bit anyway.
There you have it! Argentina could still make a run at gold in Paris, though, even without him.
The Argentina star could be set for an extended spell on the sideline
Inter Miami has announced that Lionel Messi has suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle and will be sidelined indefinitely.
Messi was injured during the Copa América final against Colombia on Sunday, with the Argentina star severely turning his ankle during a play in the first half.
The 37-year-old managed to play on, but collapsed to the turf while running in the second half and had to be substituted in tears.
Messi watched on as Argentina would win the final 1-0, with his ankle swelling severely while he sat on the bench.
On Tuesday, Inter Miami released a statement indicating that Messi is set for a spell on the sidelines.
“After a medical evaluation, it has been determined that Leo Messi has suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle,” the MLS club said. “The captain’s availability will be determined by periodic assessments and the progress of his recovery.”
Messi has been sensational for Inter Miami during the 2024 MLS campaign, tallying 12 goals and 13 assists in just 12 games.
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino had already ruled Messi out of the club’s next two games prior to the diagnosis, with the injury almost certain to keep the Argentina star out of next week’s MLS All-Star Game.
Messi also appears at risk of missing some, if not all of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup title defense. The tournament featuring every team from MLS and Liga MX kicks off on July 26.
The pre-game chaos in Miami continued after the match
Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Football Federation, was arrested in a chaotic scene after Sunday’s Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia.
Jesurún, 71, who is also a CONMEBOL vice president, is facing three felony counts of battery on a specified official or employee. His son, 43-year-old Ramón Jamil Jesurún, is facing the same charges.
WPLG, Miami’s ABC affiliate, obtained the Miami-Dade Police Department arrest report, which said both men fought security guards at Hard Rock Stadium at around 12:20 a.m. Monday, about 20 minutes after Argentina had defeated Colombia 1-0 in the final.
The arrest report said both father and son “became irate” at the security guards, with the former pushing one guard and the latter grabbing one by the neck and punching him.
The pair was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at around 4:15 a.m. Monday.
Fox Sports Mexico obtained a brief video of the incident, saying that it was sparked by security not allowing the Colombians to use the elevator.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9bk3OuOEDV/
The arrests added to an overall feeling of chaos surrounding the final in Miami, though they didn’t appear related to the ugly pre-game scenes outside of Hard Rock Stadium.
Fans breached the stadium gates before kickoff, as security forces were overwhelmed. The response from authorities was to close down all entrances, creating a dangerous crush of fans in hot and humid conditions.
Kickoff was eventually delayed by 82 minutes, with authorities allowing scores of fans in without tickets to alleviate the congestion.
After those fans were allowed in, there were severalreports of fans with tickets who reached their seats, only to find them occupied and security unable to help. Other fans were not allowed into the stadium despite having valid tickets.
Miami-Dade Police said that there were 27 arrests and 55 ejections on the night.
Gooooood morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. I hope you had a fantastic weekend.
Soccer absolutely took over the sports world on Sunday with two epic finals in the Euro Cup and Copa América.
Let’s start at Hard Rock Stadium, where absolute chaos broke out when fans bum-rushed it. They were climbing through vents, destroying escalators, and more in the building. Chaotic is probably the most kind way to describe it.
Suddenly, a Colombian team that had not lost a game in two years fell. Argentina won a record 16th Copa, which also happened to be its second consecutive one. By the way, the World Cup win is sandwiched between the two of them. And did I mention that Argentina lost Lionel Messi in the middle of the game to a non-contact ankle injury? Wild stuff, man.
Couple that with what happened across the pond in the Euro final. Spain prevailed over England, 2-1, with Mikel Ozyarzabal’s stoppage time tap-in in the 93rd minute ending this one.
“Just 13 minutes after Chelsea star Cole Palmer tied the match with a 73rd-minute goal as a substitute, Spain got its late winner by way of a Mikel Oyarzabal tap-in off a brilliantly timed run. In real time, it looked like Oyarzabal could have been offside at the moment of Marc Cucurella’s pass. But VAR confirmed that the goal was good.”
That’s how Spain got it done. Ultimately, it came down to the wire. But that bit of skill, timing and luck helped it prevail.
Watching these games was so much fun yesterday, as international football usually is. But it also hit me with a pretty grim realization: I don’t think I’ll ever have a team to root for in this. Not on the men’s side, at least.
The football we watched across continents on Sunday was so good. It was just far and away better than anything the USMNT has given us in years at this point.
It’s MLB All-Star week and the Home Run Derby is tonight, but I wanted to take a bit of time to show Paul Skenes some more love. His path to becoming an All-Star starter has been incredible.
Messi had to exit early in what could have been his final major-tournament match for Argentina
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi was forced out of the Copa América final against Colombia on Sunday, limping off before later breaking down in tears on the bench.
Messi was actually injured both in the first and second half, but it was his second injury that knocked him out of the match.
With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Messi received the ball in the box and saw the ball run away from him toward the end line. As the 37-year-old tried to keep the ball in play, Santiago Arias slid in with a challenge and rolled over Messi’s ankle on the follow-through.
Messi received treatment on the pitch for several minutes, but was able to return to the pitch after he limped back to midfield.
All appeared to be well until the 64th minute, when Messi was chasing after Colombia’s Luis Díaz and abruptly slipped onto the pitch without any contact.
This time, Messi’s knew his night was done immediately, signaling to the bench that he needed to be substituted.
Messi did manage to walk off under his own power and was later seen in tears on the bench, knowing he may have played his final major-tournament match for Argentina.
The injury will once again lead to scrutiny of the much-criticized playing surfaces at the Copa América, which have already led to multiple injuries. In similar fashion to Messi, Mexico captain Edson Álvarez went down with a non-contact injury while chasing down a play in his side’s tournament opener.
Even with Messi out, Argentina would still go on to win the game 1-0 thanks to an extra-time winner from substitute Lautaro Martínez.
As the two juggernauts prepared to face off for the tournament win, fans found ways to enter the stadium without a ticket.
It wasn’t just a couple of unruly spectators without access to the venue, either. So many people breached the entrance that it halted the start to Sunday night’s game. It got so bad that people were entering the stadium through the vents at Hard Rock.
That was also a disaster for all the fans who were trying to enter the stadium the right way and couldn’t get in amid all the improper entries.
The game’s start was delayed because of all the mayhem, which dampened the mood for one of the biggest soccer games of the year.
Here are seven videos that sum up how chaotic everything got at Hard Rock Stadium, something soccer fans aren’t likely to forget any time soon.
Distressing scenes at Hard Rock Stadium as gates burst and fans fall on top of one another, endangering families and children. Obviously not what you want from a signature football event just two years before the World Cup.pic.twitter.com/9NzIp14niB
Scary Scenes in Miami, as the gates are breached at Hard Rock Stadium for Sunday night's Argentina-Colombia Copa America final. Truly hoping this situation is safely resolved before kickoff. [Via @the_bonnfire]pic.twitter.com/rNYyFIoclF
Argentina will face Colombia on Sunday night in the 2024 Copa América final.
Though the tournament has had plenty of twists and turns, the two standout teams in the competition have found their way to the main event at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Colombia extended its unbeaten run to 28 games with a 1-0 win over Uruguay in the semifinal, a game that was marred by a post-match brawl in the stands between Uruguay players and Colombia fans.
Prior to that, Los Cafeteros demolished Panama 5-0 in the quarterfinal, continuing an impressive tournament for Néstor Lorenzo’s side.
Colombia will be without starting right back Daniel Muñoz in the final, after the Crystal Palace man picked up a red card before halftime against Uruguay.
[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Argentina vs. Colombia FREE on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=PSW&subId2=Generic&subId3=2023%2F24″]
Argentina, meanwhile, has won four of its five matches, with the only blemish a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in the quarterfinal that still ended in a win on penalties for Lionel Scaloni’s men.
Argentina would then get past Canada 2-0 in the semifinal, an identical scoreline to the tournament opener between the same two teams.
For La Albiceleste, a win over Colombia would secure a third major tournament win in a row and put the team among some of the greatest international sides ever.
Colombia is looking to win the tournament for the first time since 2001 and only the second time ever, while Argentina will be seeking its 16th Copa and second in a row after defeating Brazil in the 2021 final.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
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With the tournament taking place in the United States, it’s only fitting that the final will include a halftime show
With the 2024 Copa América taking place in the United States, it’s only fitting that the final will include a halftime show.
For the first time ever, the Copa América final will feature a performance at halftime, with pop superstar Shakira set to take the stage at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
It is only fitting that Shakira will be the halftime entertainment, as the Colombian singer’s national side will feature in the final against Argentina.
The match is set for at 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday night, meaning Shakira will take the stage sometime around 8:50 p.m.
Shakira recently released her 12th studio album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” and is set to perform songs from that album as well as some of her greatest hits.
Typically, halftime breaks last 15 minutes, but Shakira’s performance will extend the mid-game break to around 25 minutes in much the same fashion as a Super Bowl halftime show.
In his pre-match press conference, Colombia head coach Néstor Lorenzo criticized the extended halftime break for the final.
“I think the halftime for the final should be 15 minutes because those are the rules,” Lorenzo said. “And because we’ve been fined when we’ve walked back onto the pitch 16 minutes later. But now apparently, because there’s going to be a concert, we’ll be walking back out 20 to 25 minutes later.
“This could affect the players fitness. They could cool down too much. Those minutes of recovery in the dressing room… people don’t understand what it takes to reach those levels.”
How to watch Shakira in Copa America final halftime show
Tickets for Sunday’s Copa América final in Miami between Argentina and Colombia are still available for as little as $1,249.
The 2024 Copa América finals will feature two South American heavyweights and the two teams that have looked the best throughout the entire tournament
Argentina, led by the GOAT himself, Lionel Messi, takes on Colombia on Sunday, July 14 in Miami.
Argentina rolled past Canada 2-0, while Colombia scored the lone goal of their semifinal in the first half and held on, despite playing the entire second half with a man down due to a red card, and defeated Uruguay 1-0.
Colombia has scored the most goals during the entire tournament, but that offense will be put to the test against the No. 1 team in the FIFA World Rankings.
Tickets to see Lionel Messi and Argentina in Sunday’s Copa América finals in Miami are still available for as little as $974.
Lionel Messi and Argentina are onto the Copa América finals.
While the outcome wasn’t a total surprise, Argentina played a complete game against Canada in Tuesday’s semifinal, and now awaits the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal matchup between Uruguay and Colombia.
Argentina and their to-be-determined opponent will play in the finals on Sunday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m.
The finals will take place in Miami, Fla. meaning Messi and a few others should feel right at home.
