Everything is already there: country, places, stadiums, groups, dates. We just have to wait for June 20; that night in Atlanta, Georgia, Argentina and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago will set the ball rolling. It will be the beginning of the 48th Copa América in history, a beautiful saga that began in Buenos Aires in the southern winter of 1916, at a tragic moment in the world. The Great War had already claimed nine million lives in Europe. The fields of France were a huge pool of blood. On July 1, 1916, human carnage broke out north of Paris: the bloody Battle of the Somme. It was a disaster: British troops alone suffered 57,740 casualties on that first day, the UK’s highest combat loss in the entire (not short) history of the war. Twenty-four hours later, 11,000 kilometers to the southeast, ten thousand enthusiastic fans flocked to the charming Gimnasia y Esgrima stadium in Buenos Aires (not La Plata), in the Palermo district, to watch Uruguay 4 – Chile 0, the first of 837 matches to date. make up the Copa América. Ladies dressed up and with parasols, gentlemen in suits and top hats, stands with visors in the English style. Heartbreaking screams there, joyous screams of goals here. Today, more than a century later, it will seem incredible, but many Uruguayans crossed the lion-colored river to see Celeste. They were traveling on a regatta steamer that left Montevideo at ten in the evening and arrived in Buenos Aires at seven in the morning. Only a map was needed, there was no migration between Uruguay and Argentina. “It was like riding a tram,” described the great Diego Lucero.

Thus was born the idea of ​​holding the first continental tournament in the world, in the midst of a terrible contrast: war there, entertainment here. Forty-four years later (1960), the Eurocup will begin. Between legendary matches and delicious stories, our Copa América grew, the only tournament where Di Stéfano, Pelé, Maradona and Messi played. It has grown so much that the house has become small: it is now manufactured in the United States. And there is a smell that never comes back. For the first time, the Cup will be around two billion dollars. Adding up all the items (television rights, box office, sponsors, marketing, etc.) generates that figure.

Between the 32 matches, there will be 2,039,753 tickets on sale, which, at a discount, will be sold out. That would exceed HRK 1 billion. To give a better picture: in the opening game, the cheapest ticket costs 950 dollars, and the most expensive between 1664 and 2100 dollars. “It will be the best Copa América in history,” announced Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez. Also the most prohibitive, at least for the South American public who want to travel to North America to follow their team. The cheapest location in the final costs 2,500 dollars, and the most expensive 5,000. The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami has a capacity for 64,777 spectators, which will surely be filled to capacity, so it’s an easy calculation: they will pocket about 226 million dollars. Only in the final. And only borderó. The Messi phenomenon in the homeland of baseball has caused increased interest. The rich and famous are turning to football.

The unusual prices provoked sharp thinking from José Luis, a Peruvian statistician who has lived in the United States for years: “It’s becoming more and more Show millionaires watching other millionaires play.” Francisco, another native of Lima in iueséi, says: “The costs are simply ridiculous. “We need to update that football is ‘for the masses’: it is for the masses who have television or the Internet.”

Such figures suggest that the Cup can hardly return home. Which country in South America could guarantee even ten percent of those amounts…? That romantic idea, born in 1987, to carry the Cup in each country in a rotating manner, will surely go to the archives. From now on, only a minimum number of countries will be able to aspire to host: the United States will be the permanent host, maybe Mexico, maybe Brazil, maybe they will take the tournament to Saudi Arabia or Qatar. Who knows. Then he will say that the money that comes in will be used to promote youth or women’s football, he…

And what about the ball…? The ball is about six teams fighting for the title: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, United States, Mexico, Colombia. In that order. That six out of sixteen aim for the crown is a good thing about this edition. Argentina wants to repeat; Brazil needs that support to restore its faith; Bielsa’s Uruguay feel they can do anything; The United States is a rising power, it is local and can attack; Mexico strives for tradition, and Colombia because it sees the birth of a successful process that would receive a diploma if it reaches the top. Although at some point the Colombian player has to commit to going to the tournament in order to win it, not just participating. Well, Lorenzo says “Let’s go win the cup.” He puts demands on his footballers. Let them say, once and for all, “We are here to be champions.” And play accordingly.

Something like that can be expected from Ecuador. For a part of Ecuadorian journalism, its football is already or close to being third in South America. Then let me support him. At least in an attempt. Now you have good material. But it’s one thing to win individual matches, and quite another to reach the championship and claim the title of pretender. It’s not for everyone. It’s a mental problem. Those same tricolors went to the World Cup in Qatar and did not pass the first round.

A selection that is not even confirmed, but could give a shot is Canada. At the World Cup, he played a fantastic game against Belgium, although he had 22 shots on goal with excellent chances, including a penalty, and lost. But there is something about a team that has such a sparkling performance. Because of this, riots broke out in Brussels. The Belgium of Courtois, De Bruyne and Hazard, which was a possible surprise, could not be so devastated. But Canada lost the coach who achieved that dominant attacking game: John Herdman. He settled with the Federation and left. Or they were.

Brazil is experiencing a political upheaval. The last five presidents of HBF were imprisoned or accused of corruption. Now they have just sacked the last one, Ednaldo Rodrigues, so it is not known if Carlo Ancelotti will finally come next June, which is increasingly difficult. Rodrigues said that he had a pre-contract with Carletta, but this situation changes everything. And on top of that, Real Madrid offered the Italian coach two more years of his contract.

Argentina wants to requalify, and in football terms it looks like it was at the World Cup, but internally there has been a fierce upheaval between Lionel Scaloni and the president of the AFA, Claudio Tapia. Something broke and has not been fixed. This has created a tense situation that can affect the team. And besides the fact that there are still six months left until the Cup, everything happens in that period.

The main candidate, because of the present, youth, enthusiasm and game, is Uruguay. He shows it in his tie. A plane. However, if they win their zone, they could find themselves in the quarter-finals with Brazil or Colombia, and anything can happen there.

All America united, World Cup for 16 players with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, United States, Chile, Ecuador… With the world champion and the Ballon d’Or as protagonists. Millions apart, that’s something to be excited about. (OR)