The magic of Messi and Di María crowns Argentina: the owner of all titles with an uncertain future for Cueva

With tears from an eternal Messi and a monumental Di María for the last time: Argentina and why it is the owner of all the titles Cueva, the future of speed and pause: which club can save it in 35 days and why does it struggle so much to sign? There are smiles so wide that they deserve to be Olympic. Others, like those of Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María, try to be simple even though they actually carry the energy unleashed by a Copa América title or, in other words, the supernatural force of a divided atom. That's how the Albiceleste is, that's how all of Argentina wakes up today. In an epic final, as it was fitting to match a memorable 'Dibu', a Messi sliding the last of his artistry and a monumental Di María with the ball and without it, the Albiceleste defeated Colombia 1-0 with a goal from Lautaro and sealed its path to glory with the continental trophy and a country like Argentina filled with emotion and soccer. There is also Scaloni, who expands his legend by winning everything: Copa América 2021, World Cup 2022, Finalíssima 2022, and now, once again champion of America. "It was written, I told the boys, I dreamed that I would win it, that I would retire this way," says Di María, emotional and forever applauded in his last game with that shirt and a colossal, sweet, perfect farewell. Beyond that, shedding tears of frustration to give way to tears of joy, Lionel Messi relaxes and forgets the ankle pain, letting himself be embraced by what is now a full-blown explosion of celebrations on the field of the imposing sports venue in Miami, the same city that currently hosts the family and sports life of the man who, if he had been an astronaut, would have taken us to the Moon, but chose to be a footballer to lead us all to infinite applause. However, with a stressful prelude due to incidents unrelated to football. It was the result of an incident involving Colombian fans, the match scheduled initially for seven o'clock in the evening ended up being delayed by almost an hour and a half. According to official reports, a handful of Colombian fans took advantage of the excessive crowd at the access points to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to try to bypass the security rings and enter the grand final without tickets. An eventful duel was anticipated, and so it was. Colombia intelligently held on, pressed, and unsettled the Albiceleste with the fierceness of a wild beast, but with the cold calculation of a surgeon. Once again, the work and grace of a lucid strategist like Néstor Lorenzo, who knew how to set up a friction-filled match, making it uncomfortable for Lionel Scaloni and his players. However, just 7 minutes into the game, it would be Colombia who had the clearest goal-scoring opportunity through Córdoba, who almost hit the right post with a half-scissor shot that 'Dibu' managed to deflect with his gaze. After half an hour, an unintentional stomp, the result of an Argentinean's overexertion and the strong marking by defender Arias, left Lio feeling his ankle, lowering his revs and clouding the outlook a bit more for Scaloni's Albiceleste. Up to that point, Argentina had been the possessor of the ball without being able to find a clear route to cause damage, especially frustrated by the good work in recovery and anticipation of the Colombian team, where Ríos and Lerma stood out, adding good judgment to their ferocity in dealing with each ball, unsettling the opponent with precise passes and skillful pauses in the build-up. That's how the first half ended, with a tight match and a goalless score. The intensity would not diminish in the second half, with an engaged James and a struggling Messi feeling the strain and his 37 years, failed attempts were the common denominator of the match. Until, at the 66th minute, the Flea stumbles alone and can't go on, he falls to the ground and his pace comes to a halt. A substitution is requested, and with it not only does the best Albiceleste conductor leave, but also the internal raw product of Argentine joy. As the game nears its end, it's all heart. While Messi holds back tears on the bench and his swollen ankle seems ready to burst, Di María finds one and almost... For the extra time, James is substituted, and everything is the result of sacrifice being eroded by exhaustion. Until the final whistle and the extra time. It is then that the epilogue reaches stratospheric levels of anguish. Until, at the 112th minute, Lautaro Martínez, the 'Toro', comes in to score a goal that does justice to the golden generation led by three inseparable friends: Messi, Di María, and the legend. The fourth consecutive title in the Scaloni era not only does justice to an outgoing generation that needed to reach the top and another that is claiming the right to lead a consistent generational change. This fourth title is also a concrete demonstration that Argentina seems invincible because it has everything: a goalkeeper solid in the details, a rock-solid defense, and a colossal midfield. To these ingredients are added monumental offensive variations. And when they fail, as it often happens, there is always the ability to sacrifice oneself. The necessary sacrifice to build heroes. That's why Brazil couldn't do it in that Copa América held at the Maracaná, nor could France and Mbappé in one of the most dramatic finals in World Cup history. Neither could Italy, which in 2022 was thrashed by Messi and Co. with a resounding 3-0 victory, knowing they were superior before, during, and after the fight. And that's why this Sunday, an impeccable, combative, and spirited Colombia couldn't either, despite having a lot of dynamics, plenty of football, and impeccable effort, they ended up succumbing to the incredible will of Scaloni's team. What makes a team so impossible to beat? It may be Messi and his greatness that is contagious. It may be Scaloni and a perfect understanding of how to fight finals and survive in the lows to finish at the last moment. Or it may be a compact team that believes it is the best in the world and proves it.