Messi's family attacked during Copa America final in Chile
Members of Argentina star Lionel Messi's family were attacked by Chile fans during the first half of the Copa America final between the two sides on Saturday.
The incident occurred just before halftime when supporters of La Roja began to insult the Barcelona forward's family.
The 28-year-old's brother Rodrigo was hit by one fan after an angry exchange and the whole family were moved to a television cabin at halftime for their own safety.
The family of striker Sergio Aguero were also insulted by a sector of the Chilean fans.
Messi, meanwhile, was handed some rough treatment by the rival defenders at the Estadio Nacional and was struck in the chest by a violent kick from defender Gary Medel in the first half.
Chile would go on to defeat Argentina 4-1 in a shootout after a 0-0 draw in the Copa America final on Saturday, finally winning its first major tournamaent.
The Chileans made all of their penalties, and captain Claudio Bravo lifted the nation's first ever trophy in front of President Michelle Bachelet and nearly 50,000 Chileans who packed the Estadio Nacional, frantically waving Chile's red, blue and white flags.
The title rewarded the nation's best generation of players after years of disappointments in the South American tournament and at World Cups. The victory secures Chile a spot in the Confederations Cup for the first time.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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