At last, Chile's long wait is over.

In a stadium so entrenched in the nation's past it almost drips from the creaking rafters, a new chapter was written into its history.

The Estadio Nacional, in which up to 20,000 citizens were detained during the country's bloody dictatorship, erupted as Alexis Sanchez cheekily chipped home the winning penalty to end La Roja's 99-year quest for Copa America success.

The team hailed at the start of this tournament as the best Chile had ever produced duly delivered as Argentina lost a second major final in as many summers.