A COPA América 2024 primer

The CONMEBOL COPA America, or the COPA América as it is commonly known, consists of 16 teams from North, Central and South America ready to put everything on the field for continental glory. This is the 48th edition of the (usually) quadrennial event, the oldest international football tournament in the world.

• Because the event always features the best players from South America, the ten teams from CONMEBOL (South American Football Association) are automatically given a place, while this year’s six invited teams are all from Concacaf and qualified through Concacaf Nations League.

The tournament consists of two phases. Firstly, the three-match round robin group stage, which divides the 16 teams into four groups. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage by collecting the most points: three for a win, one for a draw, zero for a loss.

• The knockout stages begin on July 4 and include the quarterfinals, semifinals and a final scheduled for July 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

• This is only the second time the US has hosted the event – ​​the perfect warm-up for something called the 2026 Men’s World Cup.

Although considerably smaller than the also ongoing UEFA Men’s Euro, COPA América still has plenty of power, with world No. 1 Argentina and No. 4 Brazil headlining a strong lineup that also includes the rising No. 11 USMNT and a rising No. 48 Canadian contingent.

The favorite: Tournament favorites, reigning World Cup champions, fifteen-time COPA América winners: it’s Argentina’s world, and we live in it. The selection of the eternal powerhouse is almost identical to the one that lifted the World Cup trophy eighteen months ago. La Albiceleste are chasing their third straight major championship.

The dark horses: Even though group (and tournament) glory is Argentina’s to lose, Group A still offers spice. Chile need the best of veteran forward Alexis Sánchez to balance an inconsistent stretch La Roja while Peru’s star striker Edison Flores must find the back of the net as La Blanquirroja wants to make some noise.

• And don’t count out Canada, which has the best attacking duo of red and white ever in Jonathan David and Cyle Larin. Plus, with world-class Alphonso Davies at the helm of the backline and a new head coach in Jesse Marsch, they could pull off a few surprises.

A player to watch: The above mentioned Lionel Messi is a maestro in football; his playing skills are second to none and his creativity on the pitch is Picasso-esque. While the soon-to-be 37-year-old scores the most goals in tournament history, only time will tell how many more golden hardware Messi adds to his trophy cabinet.

The favorites: Mexico is the leader in Group B, but El Tri have been a shadow of their former selves lately, losing 4-0 to Uruguay and 3-2 to Brazil in last week’s preparatory matches. Some might call it a rebuild, others a roster shake-up – whatever it is, Mexico needs to find its form as quickly as possible.

• Ecuador doesn’t have the championship status of Mexico – their best finish in the last forty years was fourth place in 1993 – but they do have youth (like defender Piero Hincapié and midfielder Moisés Caicedo) And experience, namely striker Enner Valencia. A match made in football heaven.

The dark horses: With nine players making fewer than 10 caps, Venezuela’s inexperience on the international stage is definitely a weakness. But a superhuman effort from goalkeeper Rafael Romo could help La Vinotinto advance to their third knockout stage in the last four tournaments.

• Meanwhile, Jamaica’s tournament story has already seen some plot twists after superstar forward Leon Bailey did not accept his spot on the Reggae Boyz roster. Not to mention that Jamaica is already without its captain, goalkeeper Andre Blake. *swallows*

A player to watch: Ecuador’s prodigy Kendry Páez. From his fancy footwork to his field vision, there’s a reason why the 17-year-old will join his teammate, the aforementioned Caicedo, at Premier League club Chelsea in 2025. Remember the name.

The favorites: Group C is shaping up to be a two-horse race, with both the US and Uruguay fielding strong teams. This is perhaps the best American group to have graced the international field ever – but two tough friendlies, including a 5-1 loss to Colombia earlier this month, beg the question: can the Concacaf kings compete with the cream of the South American crop?

• Don’t let their No. 14 ranking fool you: Uruguay has beaten No. 1 Argentina and No. 4 Brazil in the past year. With superstars like midfielder Federico Valverde, defender José María Giménez and forward Darwin Núñez, this team has top talent in every position.

The rest of the group: Neither Bolivia, whose best player, striker Marcelo Martins Moreno, retired last year, nor Panama are expected to offer much resistance to the American and Uruguayan attacks, but stranger things have happened on the international stage.

A player to watch: Christian ‘Captain America’ Pulisic has had a fantastic first season at AC Milan, with thirteen goals and eight assists. Touted as the best American men’s soccer player ever, Pulisic has a knack for finding the back of the net in the USMNT’s biggest moments. Red, white and booyah.

The favorites: The iconic Ronaldinho is back in their corner, but the pressure remains on for Brazil after a disappointing 2022 World Cup and a recent qualifying period that saw the Seleção Canarinha three times in a row for the first time since 2001. But the slump isn’t due to a lack of star power. Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick lead an explosive attack, coming on to fill in for the still injured Neymar.

• And while Brazil have failed of late, Colombia are unbeaten in 23 games, a streak that stretches back to February 2022. Expect forward Luis Díaz to pick up his dancing shoes and lead a Colombian contingent that is strong, physical and opportunistic.

The dark horses: Recent success has eluded both Costa Rica and Paraguay heading into this year’s tournament. Costa Rica will certainly miss the leadership of veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas following his recent retirement from the national team, while Paraguay have struggled offensively, failing to score in four of their last five games. Not good.

A player to watch: The aforementioned Vinicius Junior is an absolute force on the club pitch, having led his club team Real Madrid to Champions League and La Liga trophies this year. But the top Ballon d’Or candidate has just three goals in 30 games for his country. Pressure makes diamonds – will Vini Jr. finally shine brightly for the Canarinha?