Messi injured in Argentina's Copa America final victory

Lionel Messi left Sunday's Copa America final midway through the second half with an apparent right leg injury.

The Argentina captain fell awkwardly and without contact while trying to win back possession of the ball against Colombia. He then hobbled off the pitch and was substituted in the 66th minute. The match was goalless at the time. Argentina went on to claim its record 16th Copa America title with a 1-0 win in extra time despite the absence of the iconic superstar.

Prior to the post-match celebrations, Messi was in tears on the bench after being replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez.

The 37-year-old required treatment in the first half for a separate incident. He appeared to be favoring his lower leg after a tangle with Colombian defender Santiago Arias and stayed down for an extended period of time. Messi had his right ankle heavily iced on the bench after he left the match. There was significant swelling by the time he removed the ice.

Messi missed one game earlier in the tournament with a thigh issue, sitting out the group stage win over Peru.

He scored one goal at this summer's Copa America - against Canada in the semifinals - bringing his career tally at the competition to 14.