Lionel Messi's tears turn into joy within an an hour as Argentine maverick celebrates Copa America win

They say sports is the biggest equaliser and it was proved once again during the hard-fought Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia when Lionel Messi's tears after an ankle injury which led to his substitution in the 64th minute, turned into joy after the La Albiceleste sealed a 1-0 win with a goal in the extra-time in Miami.

The pictures of Messi in tears with his swollen knee went viral as his teammates hustled in the middle in their quest to complete the double of the FIFA World Cup and the Copa America title. The sight of Messi leaving the ground gave Colombia some hope but Lionel Scaloni's men slugged hard in the hard-fought match and pushed the match to extra-time.

Later, Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in the 112th minute to hand his team their second successive Copa America, and Messi's 45th title to make him the most decorated player in the history of football.

Though in pain, Messi made sure to join the team huddle and celebrate the massive win. The 37-year-old was careful not to exaggerate his injury and avoided pushing himself too much while celebrating at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner walked to his retiring teammate Angel di Maria and also embraced Lautaro Martinez, who played a key role in turning his tears into joy.

The Argentine maverick, who was in tears just an hour ago, could not hide his smile as his joy knew no bounds. His iconic celebration, similar to the one he did while lifting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, followed. Messi could not move his feet, but kept on lifting the gigantic trophy with both his hands.

It remains to be seen if Messi will continue to play for Argentina, but in case he plans otherwise, if could not have asked for a better finish to his international career at his new home Miami.