Messi's injury in the middle of the 2024 Copa América final caused a sensation due to the size of his ankle

Throughout the 2024 Copa América, Lionel Messi was not at 100% of his physical condition. For the final, he forced himself, played with discomfort and ended up leaving injured in tears at minute 65. One of the images that went viral the most apart from the crying of the Argentine star was the size of his ankle.

The television cameras focused on Messi’s ankle on the bench and despite being wrapped in a couple of ice packs, it had a swelling the size of a tennis ball. This incident went viral and was widely discussed on social media.

Messi, who had already been injured from previous Copa America matches, played the best he could in a physically demanding final, but at one point during the game he seemed to have hurt himself when he was making a cross. His supporting leg got stuck in the grass and his ankle ended up twisting.

Before finally leaving the camp, he received medical attention on at least two occasions. In the end it was useless and he left in tears.

Messi’s injury draws comparisons to Diego Maradona

On social media, after the size of the swelling on La Pulga’s ankle went viral, hundreds of fans compared the injury to one suffered by Diego Armando Maradona during the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

The late legend ended up injured in a match during the World Cup and the image of his swollen ankle is very similar to that of Messi in this 2024 Copa América.

Keep reading:
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