On Friday morning, June 21, at 03:00 Bulgarian time, the 48th edition of the continental football championship of South America - Copa America - will start, and the championship will be held in the USA.
The opening game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium pits defending champions Argentina against Canada in a Group A clash. The final is set for July 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The Argentines begin their title defense against Canada in Group A, which also includes the teams of Peru and Chile. The Albiceleste, who are also Qatar 2022 world champions, reached the Copa America trophy three years ago with a narrow 1-0 triumph over arch-rivals Brazil. The top scorer then was Angel Di Maria, and the attacking player will once again be one of Lionel Scaloni's weapons, even though he is already 36 years old. The Argentines have plenty of quality all over the pitch, with superstar Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) in the squad, as well as Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Alexis McAllister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) and Lautaro Martinez (Inter). This makes Scaloni's team one of the main favorites for the trophy.
Canadians, Peruvians and Chileans will fight for the second place in the group, which is also the last train for all the teams that do not stand out from the rest as favorites.
Groups B and C are shaping up to be very close. In Group B are the teams of Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica, with Mexico and Ecuador expected to occupy the top two spots, but the Venezuelans and Jamaicans should not be underestimated as they will be looking to prove themselves on the big stage.
In Group C are the hosts USA, who open their campaign against Bolivia. The other two teams are Uruguay and Panama, where former Levski central defender Jose Cordoba plays. The Americans will be looking for a must-win against the Bolivians to increase their chances of jumping the groups. Uruguay are led by Marcelo Bielsa and enter the tournament with high ambitions, having won 15 times - the same as current trophy holders Argentina. "Urus" have strong players in the selection - Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Manuel Ugarte (Paris Saint-Germain), Rodrigo Bentancourt (Tottenham Hotspur), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) and Darwin Nunes (Liverpool), as well as the ageless Luis Suarez (Inter Miami ).
In group D is the third main candidate for the cup - the traditionally considered team of Brazil. Dorival Junior surprised with some decisions for the Copa America, with the likes of Casemiro, Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus dropped from the Seleção squad. The goalkeeper of Manchester City Ederson is out due to injury and was replaced by the guard of Sao Paulo Rafael. Despite the absences, the group of nine-time champions includes Alisson (Liverpool), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham), Rafinha (Barcelona), Gabriel (Arsenal), Douglas Lewis (Aston Villa). , Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), as well as the trio of Real Madrid - Vinicius Junior, Rodrigo and the new addition of the summer - the 17-year-old talent Endrik.
Against themselves in the group, Dorival Junior and company will play the tough teams of Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica, with the Colombians led by Liverpool winger Luis Diaz.
The top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the quarterfinal stage, which will be played in Houston, Arlington, Las Vegas and Glendale. The semi-finals are in East Rutherford and Charlotte, where the third-place match will also take place.
The matches from Copa America 2024 will be broadcast exclusively on the channels, part of the MAX Sport Plus TV package. The winner of the competition and the Euro 2024 champion will play each other in next year's edition of the Finalsima. In 2022, Argentina beat Italy with a classic 3-0 at Wembley. | BGNES
