Argentina defeat Colombia 1-0 to win record 16th Copa America

Lautaro Martinez scored an extra-time winner as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 to win a record 16th Copa America title at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

A poor game which had been marred by security and crowd issues, forcing a 82-minute delay, was decided by a quality finish from Martinez -- his fifth goal of the tournament.

The win was the third straight major tournament title for Argentine following their 2021 Copa victory and their triumph in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

There were tears before the celebrations though with Argentina captain Lionel Messi going off injured in the 66th minute watching the rest of the game distraught on the bench, while there was an emotional farewell for Angel Di Maria in his final game for the national team.

For Colombia, whose only title came in the 2001 Copa America, it was a disappointing night when little seemed to work for Nestor Lorenzo's team.

There was chaos around entry to the stadium for fans, with organisers blaming supporters for trying to enter without tickets while fans blamed the lack of an efficient entry system to the venue.

The scenes were alarming with some fans needing medical attention for heat exhaustion but after the decision to suddenly throw open the gates, with no checks on those entering, the situation was largely resolved and the game finally went ahead.

Colombia's Jhon Corboba hit the bottom of the post with a speculative shot in the seventh minute but neither side were able to find their flow in the early stages.

Di Maria found Messi in the 20th minute with a low ball into the box and Messi's left-foot shot was saved by Colombia keeper Camilo Vargas.

Colombia had looked the more lively in the opening period and they went close in the 33rd minute when Jefferson Lerma tried his luck from 25 yards out and his low drive forced Emiliano Martinez into a diving save.

- Messi tears -

There was concern for Messi in the 36th minute when he dribbled to the byline but was halted by a sliding challenge from Santiago Arias which was ruled fair left the Argentine captain needing treatment.

Messi, who now plays his club football in Miami, then curled a free-kick in from the left flank but Nicolas Tagliafico's header was just off target.

It had been a disappointing first half and it didn't improve much after the break, when the fans had at least received some entertainment from Colombian singer Shakira.

Argentina failed to deal with a James Rodriguez corner and the ball looped to Davinson Sanchez but he was unable to keep down his header which floated over the bar.

There was finally some of the expected quality when Di Maria produced one of his trademark runs in from the left and forced Vargas into action, the Colombia keeper turning the ball wide of the post.

Then came a major blow for Argentine hopes when Messi went down, without contact, as he ran in midfield, and clearly in pain he went off to be replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez in the 66th minute.

It was too much for Messi, in what may have been his last major tournament, as he sat in tears on the bench, unable to hold back his emotions.

The Argentine fans thought they had grabbed a winner in the 75th minute when Tagliafico found Gonzalez in the box, who beat Vargas with a low drive but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Little changed in extra-time with a half-chance from Miguel Borja after a flick from Jorge Carrascal but the game was settled by a worthy winner.

Leandro Paredes won the ball in midfield for Argentina with a perfectly timed tackle, found Giovani Lo Celso whose first time pass was perfect for the on-running Martinez who confidently fired home the winner.

Crowd chaos

Chaotic scenes delayed the start of the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday by over 75 minutes after fans were kept waiting outside the venue for hours.

Tournament organisers halted entry into the ground and delayed kick-off of the South American football showpiece after fans rushed the entrance gates, clashing with security and leading to the gates being closed, two hours before kick off.

Fans were gradually, slowly, alowed into the venue, later, with some needing medical attention mainly for heat exhaustion.

Shortly before the scheduled start of the game, gates were opened and fans were allowed to flood in - with no ticket checks.

An AFP reporter on the scene witnessed several fans receiving treatment from paramedics inside the venue and others staggering and needing help from friends before lying down on the floor.

Miami Dade Police said in a statement there had been "several incidents" prior to the game at the venue.

"These incidents have been a result of unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium," the statement said.

"We are asking everyone to be patient and abide by the rules set by our officers ... unruly behavior will get you ejected and/or arrested. We have a zero tolerance behavior against unruly conduct from everyone attending."

- 'Treated like animals' -

Fans however took aim at the organisation of the event, with one Argentina supporter saying fans had been treated like "animals."

"They are treating us like animals, basically there's no organisation whatsoever, there is nothing. I mean, they didn't prepare for 60,000 people," Cabarelli said. "There is no preparation, people are fainting and passing out."

Asked if the situation had felt dangerous, Cabarelli said: "100 percent. I'm still  shaking. I feel like I'm a cow."

Other fans interviewed by AFP  described chaotic scenes at the entrance gates, with some fans forcing their way into the venue past security staff as frustration boiled over.

"It was crazy, people were just trying to get in like crazy," said David Fernandez, a Colombia fan from Gainesville, Florida.

"They just didn't want to wait. They were just rushing over and running over. They've opened the gates three different times -- it was good for two or three minutes and then everybody was just rushing."

Rosy Riales said fans lining up in sweltering temperatures had got increasingly frustrated at the failure to open the gates on time.

"People are just riled up and excited, so they're pushing and it's like mayhem," she told AFP. "They should have opened the gates sooner to let people in slowly."

A statement by Copa America organisers on X, formerly Twitter, appeared to suggest the chaos had been caused by unticketed fans attempting to gain entry.

"Please be advised that people who do not have tickets will not be able to enter the stadium," the statement said.

"Only those who have purchased tickets will be able to enter once access is reopened"".

The chaos comes amid heightened scrutiny of stadium security at the Copa America following a brawl which marred the end of Wednesday's semi-final between Colombia and Uruguay.

Uruguayan players climbed into the stands and clashed with Colombian fans, claiming family members had been threatened in the aftermath of Uruguay's 1-0 defeat.