Beginning Thursday, the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 will fill stadiums throughout the United States with men’s national soccer teams from powerhouse soccer nations such as Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, among so many others. It’s a unique event in a number of ways, especially for American fans. Firstly, the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) doesn't often play in the tournament, which is held every two years.
Put on by CONMEBOL, the South American Football Championship, this prestigious tourney is typically held in South America. Since 1916, the only other time Copa America has been played outside of South America was in 2016, when the United States hosted it for the first time. That year the U.S. men played an inspired series of matches, reaching the semifinals before losing out to Argentina and global soccer GOAT Lionel Messi at Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Along with the UEFA European Championship, which is going on overseas right now, the Copa America is arguably the next-most-prestigious trophy in world soccer after the World Cup. (The UEFA Champions League may have something to say about that claim, however, because Copa is a club tournament and not composed of national squads, and it isn’t as rare as some of the other major tournaments.)
Texas will be a major player in this year’s Copa America, thanks to matches being played in Arlington, as well as Houston and Austin. Better yet, the USMNT will open its Copa America with a match against Bolivia on Sunday at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Those eager to get a glimpse of what awaits North Texas when the World Cup rolls around need look no further than the next few weeks of the Copa America.
Why Is the Copa America Such a Big Deal?
To answer this fair question, we could simply stop with the short answer that anytime, anywhere the national teams of Argentina and Brazil play meaningful soccer for a prominent trophy, it’s a big deal and worthy of even the casual sports fan’s attention. Additionally, the Copa America is the oldest continental tournament going today, older than the World Cup even. For a country (the U.S.) that is still on the outside looking in when it comes to being considered a premier soccer nation, getting to swim in the pool for only the second time ever is nothing short of a very big deal and a prime opportunity to change more people’s minds about the nation's soccer bonafides. When and Where Does the U.S. Men’s National Team Play in the Copa America?
Similar to the World Cup format, each team will play three group stage matches before the single elimination knockout rounds begin. Here are the matches we know the USMNT have scheduled:- Sunday, June 23: USA vs. Bolivia, Sunday, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, 5 p.m.
- Thursday, June 27: Panama vs. United States, Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, 6 p.m.
- Monday, July 1: United States vs. Uruguay, GEHA Field at Arrowhead, Kansas City, 8 p.m.
Does the United States Have a Shot to Win the Copa America?
We’re not ready to go that far, but we’re also not quite ready to write the U.S. team off either. The 2016 squad made it to the semifinals with a far less talented and older team than what will be on the pitch this year. Add to that, Brazil, a traditional power in world soccer of there ever was one, is by all accounts a weaker club this year than usual, thanks in part to the absence of their injured icon, Neymar. Fox Sports has the USA listed as the fourth betting favorite, with odds to win the trophy set at +1200. The favorite is Argentina, set at +175. The USMNT isn’t a longshot, but they’re not really anyone’s pick to win it all, either.
