Aside from the World Cup, and depending on which soccer fan you ask, the Copa América is the pre-eminent international soccer tournament. Of course, there are European soccer fans who would disagree with this statement, and let’s not forget that the AFCON also features a high standard of soccer.
However, with the current defending World Cup champions featured in this year’s Copa América, and Brazil, who have more World Cups than any other nation, the standard at the Copa América is incredibly high – and this applies to this summer’s tournament as well. We’ve put together some of the main points you need to know for the Copa América 2024, including tournament format, location, and structure, and who could potentially come out victorious in the final, which takes place in Miami on July 14.
Understanding Betting Markets
One of the fastest-growing subsidiary markets in soccer is the underlying attraction of betting markets. Sportsbooks are often the go-to destination for those seeking an objective view of which team has the best chance of winning a game or a tournament. Although the bookmakers don’t get all of them right – which adds to the unpredictability and captivating nature of soccer – they are usually a good measuring tool to get an indication of how a tournament could play out.
Exploring the Copa América predictions and odds, predictions, and industry picks here, it becomes clear that it’s a coin toss between Argentina and Brazil, the two nations that often dominate this continental tournament.
Uruguay is often forgotten when it comes to South American soccer. They have produced some of the top players in the world throughout soccer history, and have been known to cause an upset or two. While most bookies have them at around 6/1, it wouldn’t be the biggest shock to see them get one past Brazil or Argentina.
Tournament Format
The Copa América has a smaller pool of teams than the Euro competition, which takes place on the other side of the Atlantic at the same time. Just 16 teams are competing in this year’s Copa América, with four groups of four leading into a knockout stage, eventually leading to the champions being crowned.
The Copa América 2024 is taking place in the United States this year, and many people view it as a dry run for when the country hosts the premier event in soccer in 2026 – the FIFA World Cup. While it might be disingenuous to overlook the Copa América and have sights set on the World Cup already, it will showcase both the appetite for soccer in the US – which by all measures appears to be growing year after year – and the country’s ability to host a big international tournament.
Although the Copa América doesn’t generate the same advertising revenue as the World Cup, it’s still a huge event, with tens of millions of people expected to tune in across the Americas and tens of thousands of South American soccer fans looking to make the trip north to cheer on their national side.
Argentina completed the Copa América and World Cup double within 18 months. While they go into the 2024 tournament as slight favorites, analysts are divided between Brazil and Argentina. It’s likely to be a showdown between these two again to determine who the top team in the Americas will be.
Featured Grounds in This Year’s Copa América
This year’s tournament has 14 venues in total, with the final taking place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The first game of the tournament sees defending champions Argentina taking on Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The other 12 stadiums are in:
- Arlington, TX
- Austin, TX
- Charlotte, NC
- East Rutherford, NJ
- Glendale, AZ
- Houston, TX
- Inglewood, CA
- Kansas City, KS
- Kansas City, MO
- Las Vegas, NV
- Orlando, FL
- Santa Clara, CA
Unlike some previous Copa América tournaments, which have featured less than half a dozen arenas, the United States has the size and infrastructure to have over a dozen venues. All of them have significant capacity and world-class design to accommodate the audiences and generate the atmosphere that the tournament deserves – especially with superstars such as Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, and Luis Suárez taking to the field this summer.
Final Summary
This year’s Copa América has a lot going for it. It will be held at several top venues, and soccer fans further afield have their interest heightened, wanting to get a glimpse of what the US could have in store for the World Cup in 2026.
Any chance to watch Lionel Messi before his impending retirement is one for the ages, especially for soccer fans in the US who have watched him grace the MLS but want to see him play for his national team. Future soccer superstars like Vinícius Júnior will also be interested in the World Cup.
They will be getting a taste of what the broader US soccer culture has in store, and while the Euros will be getting the international soccer fever stewing on one continent, the Copa América will begin proceedings a week later over in the US. One thing we can say for certain – there’s a fantastic summer of soccer ahead.
