Lionel Messi was left in tears after suffering a non-contact injury in the Copa America final.
In the 63rd minute of Sunday's match between Argentina and Colombia , Messi attempted to chase down winger Luis Diaz when he lost and footing and came crashing to the pitch. The 37-year-old appeared to be in a considerable amount of pain, immediately calling for trainers to come assist him.
After remaining down on the ground for several moments, Messi took off his cleat and limped off the pitch under his own power. Upon reaching the Argentine sideline, he angrily tossed his shoe and sunk into his seat.
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Once he sat down, Messi could no longer contain his emotions, letting out a wave of tears while burying his face in his hands. According to Fox Sports' Jenny Taft, teammates Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Di Maria were the first to rush over and embrace him when regulation ended in a 0-0 tie.
Earlier in the 36th minute of the first half, Messi suffered another injury scare while attempting to save the ball before it crossed out of bounds. After getting off a kick near the end line, the Argentine captain awkwardly planted his right foot and appeared to have his left ankle rolled up on by Colombia's Santiago Arias.
Messi grimaced in pain and rolled over multiple times on the pitch while appearing to grab at his lower right leg. Trainers promptly rushed to his aid, working on the region for several minutes before picking him up off the ground. He gingerly made his way towards the sideline, but was able to soon after able to return to the game.
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Entering play Sunday, Messi was already dealing with a nagging leg injury that had affected him throughout this year's Copa America. Last month, he was unable to participate in Argentina's 2-0 win over Peru in the group stage finale.
It remains to be seen if Sunday's unceremonious departure will mark the last Copa America appearance for Messi. On the heels of scoring his 109th international goal in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Canada, the Inter Miami star expressed a desire to represent his national team beyond this year's final.
"As I've said before, I intend to continue," he told reporters. "I intend to keep living day by day without thinking about what will come in the future or whether I'll continue or not. It's something I just live each day. I'm 37 years and only God knows when the end will be."
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