We’ve got a feast of international football coming our way over the next month or so. Not only does Euro 2024 kick off on German soil next Friday, but over on the other side of the Pacific, soccer fans are gearing up for Copa America 2024, which is being played in the United States for the second time in eight years. A note for the diaries, make sure you cancel all evening/night-time plans for July 14th. The Euro 2024 Final takes place at 8pm (BST) that day, with the Copa America Final kicking off a few hours later (1am on Monday 15th). Current World Cup champions, Argentina, will be aiming to defend their Copa America crown, a feat they’ve achieved on five occasions down the years.
Embed from Getty ImagesArgentina Aiming For A Record-Breaking 16th Copa America Crown
Argentina’s 1-0 victory against Brazil at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro three years ago, saw them secure their 15th Copa America title. It meant they drew level with Uruguay at the top of the competition’s all-time winners’ standings. Amazingly, it was La Albiceleste’s first Copa America success for almost 30 years, since they defended the title in 1993. Though Lionel Scaloni is yet to name his final squad, it’s guaranteed to be a strong one and the bookies have them chalked up as tournament favourites in front of Brazil. This current Albiceleste crop are the only team to hold both World Cup and Copa America titles at the same time, apart from Brazil in 2004.
The Copa America, previously named the South American Championship until 1975, is the longest running continental football competition on the globe, with Argentina hosting the first ever edition in 1916. Argentina wouldn’t win their first continental crown though until 1921, five competitions later. During the early years of the event, it was played in a round-robin format with less than 8 teams competing until 1947 and it didn’t involve into the group-stage/knockout format as we know it until 1993. That same year, non-CONMEBOL teams were invited and played in the tournament for the first ever time and have in almost every edition since.
Uruguay Set The Early Standard
Like with the World Cup in 1930, Uruguay also became the first ever winners of the South American Championship in 1916. They maintained their stranglehold on the competition winning it six times before their inaugural World Cup success. Los Charruas continued to lift the trophy on a regular basis over the years, although their success has slowed in recent times. They’ve only reigned supreme twice in the last 30 years, in 1995 (when they hosted) and 2011.
Despite a poor showing at the 2022 World Cup, where Uruguay failed to get out of their group, they are still clear third favourites of the sides who are set to enter the Copa America fray this year. Marcelo Bielsa took charge of La Celeste in May last year and has made a positive impact. Uruguay are currently pushing Argentina hard at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying ladder, having lost just one of their six qualifiers so far. Impressive victories over Brazil and Argentina during the campaign have definitely raised expectations ahead of their Copa America quest.
Embed from Getty ImagesBrazil Looking To Rediscover Their Midas Touch
It’s been a tough recent period for Brazil. Knocked out of the 2022 World Cup during the Quarter-Finals and they currently sit only sixth in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying standings after losing half of their games to date during that campaign. On the world stage however, it hasn’t been a sudden drop off for the Brazilians, but more of a slow decline. They’ve only reached the World Cup semi-finals once (2014) since winning the tournament in 2002.
On the whole though, it’s been better for the Selecao on the Copa America front. They finished runners-up in 2021, won the time before that in 2019 and five of Brazil’s overall nine Copa America successes came in the previous ten editions of the event. However, a little concerning for the Samba Boys is that when the competition was hosted in the United States eight years ago, they failed to qualify from their group.
Copa America 2024 – What Awaits In The States?
Apart from those three most successful Copa America teams in history, there are 13 other nations competing on United States soil this time around. Seven of those are also CONMEBOL sides: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru & Venezuela. The remaining six sides, including hosts, the USA, hail from the CONCACAF region: Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Canada and Costa Rica.
The 16 sides are split into four groups, with the top two from each qualifying for the Quarter-Finals. Of the four group favourites, Mexico and Brazil look to have the toughest tests. Mexico in Group B face Ecuador and Venezuela, who both sit above Brazil in the current World Cup Qualifying standings. Brazil don’t look to have any easy assignments in Group D, with Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica awaiting them.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe CONMEBOL Minnows Looking To Punch Above Their Weight
Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil combined together have won 39 of the previous 47 Copa America/South America Championships. The other eight titles have been shared amongst five other CONMEBOL nations. The most recent of those being Chile in 2016, when the tournament was last staged in the United States. Chile beat Argentina on penalties on that occasion, as they had done in 2015 too, when winning their very first Copa America crown. La Roja have reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals in the last two editions and could claim the second qualifying spot behind Argentina in Group A.
Paraguay and Peru have also lifted the trophy twice, although the latest success for both came in the 1970s. Both sides are likely to struggle to progress from their groups on this occasion. Bolivia whose sole tournament triumph came in 1963 are another nation who have a tough group assignment. 2001 winners Colombia failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, but they are the only side who are unbeaten so far during the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying campaign and could push Brazil hard in Group D.
Can The CONCACAF Contingent Pose A Threat?
Of the six CONCACAF sides who are competing in Copa America 2024, hosts USA and Mexico look to have the best prospects. Hosts America reached the semis in 2016 and are sure to be pepped-up again by the home crowds. Gregg Berhalter’s Stars & Stripes kick-off the tournament with matches against Bolivia and Panama. So feasibly, they should have 6pts in the bag and have already qualified for the knockouts before taking on Uruguay.
Mexico return to Copa America action for the first time since 2016. On that occasion, they had an impressive group campaign, but were then trounced 7-0 in the quarter-finals by Chile. Once again, El Tri have not been handed an easy passage. Jamaica shouldn’t pose them too many problems in their opener, but they then clash with Venezuela and Ecuador. The only side making their Copa America debut this time are Canada. For the first time in their history, the Canucks will have an American at the helm. Former Leeds Utd boss, Jesse Marsch, took over the reins only last month. The bookies have Canada as the Group A whipping boys, so he may have his work cut out.
Embed from Getty ImagesCould The All-Time Copa America Scoring Record Be Broken?
Argentina’s Norberto Mendez and Brazil’s Zizinho currently sit joint-top of the all-time Copa America scoring charts with 17 goals apiece. Both were netting goals for their nations during the 1940s and 1950s. Three ‘active’ players are within touching distance of those two goalscoring stars. They could surpass their tallies in the States, if they get given the green light to have a run out.
Peru’s skipper Paolo Guerrero, who previously starred in the Bundesliga, has bagged 14 Copa America goals. At 40 years of age, he is flying the flag for the older generation. Another player on 14 goals in the tournament is Chile’s Eduardo Vargas. The 34-year-old (who those with good memories will remember) played with QPR during the 2014-15 Premier League season.
Will Lionel Messi Produce More Magical Moments?
One goal behind Guerrero and Vargas, on 13 goals, is the one and only Lionel Messi. The Argentinian hitman opened his Copa America scoring account way back in 2007. He netted four times during the 2021 tournament in Brazil, which was his sixth Copa America campaign in total. He will need 5 goals this time if he’s going to hit the top of the all-time scoring pile. One easier record for Messi to break is the all-time Copa America matches played. He currently sits joint-top on 34 matches with Chile’s Sergio Livingstone. Livingstone starred for Chile in the 1950s though, so won’t be adding to his tally.
Copa America 2024 gets underway on Friday 21st June at 01:00 (BST). Defending champions Argentina take on tournament debutants Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. All 32 matches will be screened live on Premier Sports.
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Image Credit: Deposit Photos
Argentina ready to chase history at Copa America 2024! 🏆⚽️ Can Messi and La Albiceleste secure a record-breaking 16th title? Exciting times ahead! 🇦🇷 #CopaAmerica