After an 80 minutes delay due to  crowd trouble outside the hard rock stadium  on Sunday, an injury to a tearful Lionel Messi and a brutally physical 90 minutes of regulation time, you could understand why Argentina and Colombia’s players were exhausted as extra time began in the 2024 Copa America final.

Yet, when Lautaro Martinez came on with just 23 minutes remaining before a penalty shootout, he energized a deflated Argentina side and in one fell swoop, changed the course of his national team narrative forever.

Martinez who is always being criticized for his inability to score in big games for club or country put the ball into the back of the net in the 112th minute to give the Argentine’s the 2024 Copa America title, winning the nation’s third straight major international title and defending their CONMEBOL victory from three years ago.

Colombia had given everything, but in the end a moment of brilliance from another heavily criticized player, Gio Lo Celso, slipped Lautaro in — and that was the moment Argentina needed to seal the game.

Messi’s tearful withdrawal with an ugly ankle injury in the 66th minute left Argentina without their talisman, but they persisted and trudged on in his absence, winning the title even without the 37-year-old superstar on the field.

Starting lineups:

Argentina (4-3-3, right to left): 23. E. Martinez (GK) — 4. Montiel (Molina, 72′), 13. Romero, 25. Li. Martinez, 3. Tagliafico — 7. De Paul, 24. E. Fernandez (Paredes, 96′), 20. Mac Allister (Lo Celso, 96′) — 11. Di Maria (Otamendi, 117′), 10. Messi (N. Gonzalez, 66′), 9. Alvarez (La. Martinez, 96′).

Colombia (4-2-3-1, right to left): 12. Vargas (GK) — 4. S. Arias, 23. Sanchez, 2. Cuesta, 17. Mojica — 6. Rios (Castano, 88′), 16. Lerma (Uribe, 106′) — 11. J. Arias (Borja, 106′), 10. J. Rodriguez (Quintero, 91′), 7. L. Diaz (Carrascal, 106′) — 24. Cordoba (Borre, 88′)