The Copa América will be played with a record 16 teams competing for the title. The 2024 tournament, set to take place in the US from June 20th to July 16th, will include six nations from the CONCACAF zone and the regular South American contingent (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, etc.).
Who do you think will win the Copa América 2024? So, what do you think will happen? Let’s take a look at our Copa America 2024 predictions.
History of Copa America
The first known football game in South America was played in Argentina in 1867 by a party of British railway workers. Once it went throughout the nation, the game quickly travelled across the continent. With the formation of national teams coming to a close, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile all participated in a global competition in 1910.
While the first tournament never received official recognition, CONMEBOL now considers the July 1916 event between the three teams from 1910 and Brazil to be the inaugural Copa America.
Within fourteen years after winning the inaugural Copa America, Uruguay became the first team to win the FIFA World Cup. Hector Rivadavia, a Uruguayan, also proposed forming an international confederation from the national organizations of South America. Squabbles between the various national organizations caused the event to be staged intermittently in subsequent years while it was held on occasion.
There was no designated host country for the Copa America competition from 1975 to 1987; each participating country hosted several matches. By this stage, CONMEBOL had determined that the tournament needed to revert to a single host country due to the increased number of participating teams, including Ecuador and Venezuela.
A different host country hosted the Copa America every two years from 1987 until 2001. While the structure of the tournament varied often, the participation of top-tier players and the overall high quality of the competition increased Copa America’s popularity outside of South America. Though it’s seldom easy with CONMEBOL, the tournament is typically held every four years.
Argentina Crowned Copa America 2021 Champion
Argentina won their fifteenth Copa America championship in the 2021 tournament in Brazil. After drawing with Chile in their group and winning three of their four matches, Argentina advanced to the semifinals, where they would face Brazil in the final. In the semifinals, they would defeat Ecuador and Colombia. Argentina would only need a single goal—scored by Di Maria in the 22nd minute of play—to win the championship.
Copa America Medal Totals
Here are the countries with the most Copa America titles:
Uruguay 15
Argentina 15
Brazil 9 12
Paraguay 2
Chile 2
Peru 2
Colombia 1
Bolivia 1
Favourites to win the 2024 Copa America
Here are the top favorites to win the Copa America 2024:
Argentina
The 2024 Copa America odds have Argentina as the clear favourite, and rightfully so, after their World Cup victory.
With 15 points from 18 matches, La Albiceleste is currently leading the World Cup qualifying standings. They’ve accomplished this with solid defence, allowing just two goals in six games while scoring eight when it mattered most.
With Lionel Messi in the starting lineup for the forthcoming Copa America and fully fit, Argentina has a great chance of retaining their title and winning three significant silverware in a row. Messi continues to shine for the white and blue.
Brazil
If the Brazilian national team doesn’t win and win spectacularly, it’s seen as a failure, as is typical.
This squad has a ton of potential, but they haven’t won anything in what seems like forever—four years.
They are in terrible shape right now, with seven points (good enough for sixth place in competence for the 2026 FIFA World Cup).
Will they be able to fix their problems and host an unforgettable tournament? All the necessary parts are in their possession.
Uruguay
You would be floored entirely if you attempted to draw parallels between the skill levels of Uruguay and the top two options.
When it comes to teams, Uruguay is the model of perfection.
Attackers like Darwin Nunez and Nicolas de la Cruz certainly help the team succeed, but the defence chokes you and doesn’t let you go.
If Uruguay’s extensive roster is completely fit by next summer, they will be among the strongest contenders for the Copa America championship they haven’t won since 2011.
United States
Being hosted in the United States of America, most spectators will likely root for the American team to the final whistle. Even if it’s patriotic, this American squad isn’t excellent.
They recently (and unexpectedly) lost to Panama in the Gold Cup semifinals, demonstrating they cannot win essential matches.
They were eliminated due to penalties after failing to defeat Panama many times.
