On June 20th, the Copa América 2024 begins, which will be held in the United States. This year’s edition features 16 countries, with the inclusion of teams from Central and North America. In 2021, the last year in which the competition was played, only the ten federations regulated by Conmebol in South America were present.
Precisely due to the increase in teams, this edition of the Copa América will be full of stars. A Sports Gazette separated the main players of this year’s tournament, check it out below:
Starting with the current champions of the tournament, Lionel Messi needs no comments. The eight-times best Argentine in the world is the captain of the Hermanos and the main reference of Lionel Scaloni’s team. With Messi, Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and are the favorites to win the Copa América again this year.
- Brazil (Vinícius Júnior)
If Brazil’s biggest rival counts on Messi’s experience, the Brazilian team is betting on Vinícius Júnior’s youth and great form to win this Copa América. The 23-year-old striker is the main candidate for this year’s best player in the world award after a brilliant season with Real Madrid, which ended with the Champions League title with the Brazilian scoring a goal in the grand final.
Known to football lovers, Alexis Sánchez will play in his sixth Copa América with the Chilean team. The 35-year-old striker was present in the 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021 editions. Alexis is Chile’s top scorer in history and the player with the most appearances for the country. Alexis was champion of the 2015 and 2016 editions, the first titles in the history of his team.
Although Colombia’s great leader is still James Rodríguez, certainly the biggest Colombian highlight of recent years is Luis Díaz. The Liverpool striker has 47 caps for the Colombian national team and scored 11 goals. Among the 27-year-old player’s main performances for his country, the clash against Brazil in November 2023 stands out, where Díaz scored both goals in Colombia’s victory.
The Internacional striker is Ecuador’s main reference for the Copa América. Idol and captain of the Ecuadorian national team, Enner Valencia has scored 40 goals for his team. With extensive experience in clubs around the world, the 34-year-old player seeks to take Ecuador to greater heights in this edition of the competition.
- United States (Christian Pulisic)
“Captain America” Christian Pulisic is the star of the home team. The Milan striker will play in his second Copa América and is the main player of the so-called “golden generation” of the Americans. With the United States, the 25-year-old has played more than 65 games for the national team and won the Concacaf Nations League on three occasions. Furthermore, he played in his first World Cup in 2022, in Qatar.
The star of the Mexican team is Edson Álvarez. The 26-year-old defender is an absolute starter for West Ham in England and is the captain of Mexico in this new generation. Despite this, the Mexicans are experiencing a major crisis in football and will be under pressure for the competition. The Mexican team wants to have a good Copa América to reach the 2026 World Cup, which will be played in the country, together with the United States and Canada.
- Uruguay (Federico Valverde)
Vinícius Júnior’s teammate at Real Madrid, Valverde dictates the rhythm of Celeste’s midfield. With Cavani’s retirement from the national team and the absence of Luis Suárez in the latest squads, the 25-year-old player is the main technical reference for Marcelo Bielsa’s team. With Valverde, Uruguay reached second place in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with 13 points in six matches.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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