EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As two teammates walked toward the goal to console Lucas Biglia, whose penalty kick was saved by the Chilean goalkeeper, Lionel Messi stepped away, turned to the benches and pulled his blue-and-white striped jersey over his face. He did his best to disappear in a sold-out stadium filled with over 80,000 fans, to escape the spotlight shining on this Copa América Centenario final and to hide from the inevitable outcome.
Chile needed to convert only one more penalty to claim the crown and send Messi and Argentina to their third defeat in a major international final in three years.