Grab your burgers, hot dogs, and root beers because, for the second time in its history, Copa America is being held in the United States.
But what is this Copa America, I hear you ask?
It's only the longest-running continental football competition, one that has played host to some of the greatest legends of the game including Lionel Messi, Pele, Diego Maradona, and Neymar.
This summer, across 12 American cities and 14 stadiums, South America's finest — including Brazil, Uruguay, and a Messi-led Argentina — will compete again to take the title of Champions of South America (and Others).
To round out the numbers, the United States, Mexico, and a few other North and Central American countries have been invited to join the fun, too.
Here, The Athletic has broken down everything you need to know about the tournament, from the favorites and the format to its 108-year history filled with brilliance and drama.
The last time it was held Stateside was in 2016 for Copa America Centenario, the tournament's 100th anniversary.
Though that tournament ended badly for Messi, losing out on a first senior international trophy in a penalty shootout to Chile, it provided the iconic moment where he endeared himself to the people of Argentina by breaking down in tears on the pitch.
He's since added a World Cup and a Copa America to his trophy cabinet, so don't bet on those theatrics again.
This year, the final will be held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, home of the Miami Dolphins. It will be one of 14 stadiums used for the tournament across 12 cities: East Rutherford, Orlando, Charlotte, Atlanta, Kansas City, Arlington, Houston, Austin, Glendale, Las Vegas, Inglewood and Santa Clara.
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Other than 2016 and this year, Copa America has only ever been held in South America.
In 1984, CONMEBOL, the football governing body in South America, began rotating the right to host the tournament among its members, with the first rotation culminating in 2007 in Venezuela.
The second rotation began in 2011, but hosting the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics proved too much for Brazil, which was scheduled to host Copa America in 2015. Chile eventually hosted that tournament, and Brazil took the responsibility in 2019 and 2021.
Argentina has hosted more editions than any other country (nine times), most recently in 2011. Paraguay, Colombia, and Venezuela are the only CONMEBOL nations that have not hosted it more than once.
This summer, the 16-team tournament will begin with four groups of four teams. After each team has played their group opposition once, the top two will advance.
During the group phase, teams earn three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero if they lose. If you're anti-draw, we advise you to wait until the knockout stage, where there must be a winner. If the scores are tied after 90 minutes, extra time is used, and if the scores are still level after two 15-minute halves, the match will be decided using penalty kicks.
The knockout stage consists of three rounds: the quarter-finals, semifinal, and final, one fewer round than the European Championship. In the quarter-final stage, teams that finished top of their group will play against a team that finished second. If a team progresses past that stage, they will play the semifinal. If they're successful there, the July 14 final awaits.
If this is your first Copa America, count yourself lucky. It is not usually this way.
In 2021, there were only 10 participants, meaning two five-team groups, each playing four group games. The top four from each group made it to the knockout stage, thus eliminating only two teams in the group phase. This year is only the second time there have been 16 competing nations, with 12 being the most common since guest nations were introduced in 1993.
More on those later.
Group A: Argentina, Peru, Chile, Canada
Group B: Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica
Group C: USMNT, Uruguay, Panama, Bolivia
Group D: Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica
Uruguay are international football, perennial overachiever, consistently performing well in tournaments despite a population of only around 3.5 million.
They won the tournament's first edition on their way to collecting six of the first nine and 15 in total, a record they share with Argentina.
Like Uruguay, Argentina had most of its success before the tournament changed its name from the South American Football Championship in 1975, winning 12 of their 15 trophies before 1960. In 2021, however, they got their hands on the trophy again, inspired by Messi, who was seven when Argentina previously won the competition in 1993.
Over the past three decades, Brazil has been the dominant team in South America, collecting five of their nine trophies since ending a 40-year drought in 1989. They were back-to-back winners in 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2007, off the back of a golden generation of Brazilian talent, including Ballon d'Or winners Ronaldo (not the superstar from Portugal), Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaka.
Chile had a golden spell in the mid-2010s, winning back-to-back trophies in 2015 and 2016, the only two wins in their history. Paraguay and Peru have also won it a couple of times, and Bolivia and Colombia have one each, both winning as host nations.
Ecuador and Venezuela are the only CONMEBOL nations that have never won the trophy. They have come relatively close, finishing fourth in the 1993 and 2011 editions but have never reached the final.
However, Venezuela has written history in a less desirable way. They hold the dishonor of not winning a single match in 12 consecutive participations from 1975 to 2004 and are the only South American team to rank outside the top 10 of the tournament's all-time rankings, surpassed by Mexico, a frequent guest nation.
Unlike UEFA, Europe's governing body, which has 55 member nations and holds qualifiers for their 32-team equivalent, CONMEBOL is FIFAs smallest confederation with 10 teams. As a result, all South American teams automatically qualify for the tournament, and guest nations are usually called from around the world to make up the numbers.
For the 1993 tournament, CONMEBOL decided to add a rotating cast of guest nations to the core of 10 teams. This allowed for an added knockout round, two extra games, higher viewing figures, and more money.
While it has yet to happen, the inclusion of guest nations opens the possibility that a team outside of South America could win the continent's premier sports tournament. Historically, the most likely to upset the apple cart has been Mexico, who have reached the final twice. The USMNT have done pretty well themselves, reaching the semifinals in 1995 and 2016.
Yes, Messi will be in action. Despite completing his football bucket list in 2022 by winning the World Cup in Qatar a year after winning Copa America, the Inter Miami star has committed to playing in his seventh this year.
Not that he needs any more accolades, but when Messi steps foot in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for Argentina's first group game on June 20, he will break the record for the leading number of appearances in the tournament. The match will be his 35th, surpassing the total set by Chile goalkeeper Sergio Livingstone. If he scores five while he is there, he'll also break the goalscoring record of 17, jointly held by his compatriots Norberto Mendez and Brazils Zizinho. Both records have stood since 1953.
Brazil is without Neymar, so Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr will take the mantle as the team's attacking leader. But do not fear: Alisson, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bruno Guimaraes will be among those to represent the Premier League for the five-time World Cup winners.
Liverpool duo Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez should star for Colombia and Uruguay and Moises Caicedo will headline for Ecuador.
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Messi is among several stars based in the United States who will feature at Copa America this summer, though some squads are yet to be announced at the time of writing.
Orlando City stalwart Pedro Gallese is expected to star for Peru in goal, and 2023 MLS All-Star midfielder Jose Martinez will likely perform his role in the midfield engine room for Venezuela as he does for the Philadelphia Union.
While Luis Suarez, Messis Miami's team-mate, was not named in the squad for Uruguay's 4-0 pre-tournament thrashing of Mexico, Cristian Olivera (LAFC) and Orlando City pair Cesar Araujo and Facundo Torres are expected to fly the MLS flag for Uruguay at the tournament.
With all those MLS players being called up for international duty this summer, surely MLS Commissioner Don Garber will pause league play, right?
Right?
We can't afford (to shut the league down for Copa America), Garber stated in his league address on the eve of the 2023 MLS Cup final. If we have to shut the league down (and) lose games, it impacts our players, it impacts our partners, it impacts our fans, it impacts everything that MLS has to deliver for all of our stakeholders. That being said, we've got to manage through that process, be clever and creative, and figure out how to reconfigure the schedule with all these different events to make it work.
Nothing says serving your fans like forcing teams to field sides without their best players. For example, Miami will play the Columbus Crew, the MLS Cup holders, on July 20, one day before Copa America kicks off. For that game, Miami will be without Messi.
Almost every South American superstar has won Copa America, except for two of the greatest ever: Maradona and Pele.
Maradona appeared in three Copa Americas (1979, 1987, and 1989) but never got over the line. His best performance came in 1987 on home soil, where he scored three goals in four matches, including a brace in the second group game against Ecuador. That was only enough to get to the semifinal stage, losing 1-0 against eventual winners Uruguay.
Pele gave himself even less chance, appearing in just one Copa America in 1958. As a 19-year-old, he finished as top scorer with eight goals and won the best player award, but Brazil finished second to Argentina in a seven-team round-robin. Imagine if he'd have played as many as Messi.
Let's not go there.
Fox Sports holds the English-language rights in the United States and will broadcast every game from the tournament on its Fox, FS1 and FS2 channels.
The USMNTs opening group games against Bolivia and Panama will be broadcast on Fox at 6 pm ET, while their third group fixture against Uruguay will be on FS1. Every Brazil and Argentina game is on FS1, while Mexicos group ties will be split between Fox and FS1.
The UK broadcaster is yet to be confirmed, but BBC held the rights in 2021.
Argentina are on an international tournament winning streak and they are favorites to win again this summer in the United States. Despite being without Neymar, Brazil is Argentina's most obvious competitor, and there will be little surprise if they add to their nine Copa America trophies this year.
Uruguay is slightly behind the elite duo but has the talent to go all the way. Outside of those three, Colombia is the pick of the dark horses. The United States has quality and could reach the semifinals if a favorable knockout route presents itself, but the final might be a game too far for Gregg Berhalters young squad.
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This summer on The Athletic: Tournaments, transfers and tours
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
US Men’s national team, Mexico Men’s national team, Canada, Brazil, Jamaica, Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Soccer, Copa America
A beginner’s guide to Copa America 2024: Groups, format, location and dates
https://arab.news/vj4ht
A beginner’s guide to Copa America 2024: Groups, format, location and dates
- While Luis Suarez, Messis Miami's team-mate, was not named in the squad for Uruguay's 4-0 pre-tournament thrashing of Mexico
- Despite being without Neymar, Brazil is Argentina's most obvious competitor
Norris turns on the heat at sweltering Bahrain practice
- World championship leader Lando Norris topped the timesheets in a baking hot opening practice ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday
SAKHIR: World championship leader Lando Norris topped the timesheets in a baking hot opening practice ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday.
It was hunt-some-shade time on a sweltering afternoon in the Gulf kingdom — 35 degrees celsius and track temperature nudging 50 degrees.
As a consequence the relevance of the opening session on the rest of the weekend will be minimal, with second practice later Friday, Saturday’s qualifying and the race itself all staged at sunset and in cooler temperatures.
That was one main factor in teams using ‘FP1’ to give a half dozen rookies a shot as a ‘Friday driver’ as per the governing body’s guidelines.
As a result, four-time world champion Max Verstappen, one point adrift of Norris in the driver’s standings after his win in Japan last weekend, had some down time with Ayumua Iwasa taking the wheel of his Red Bull.
Dino Beganovic was handed the keys to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
Other new faces were Fred Vesti (in for Mercedes’ George Russell), Luke Browning (Williams/Carlos Sainz), Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin/Fernando Alonso) and Ryo Hirakawa, in for Ollie Bearman at Haas.
Williams team principal James Vowles explained the reasoning behind running Browning rather than Sainz, third to Verstappen in last year’s race for Ferrari.
“It’s much, much warmer than it will be so it is unrepresentative, and (Sainz) has done many hundreds of kilometers around here. It’s always painful, but it is less painful to run a Friday driver here.”
Browning had a scary moment with his temporary teammate Alex Albon, the pair coming close with a quarter of an hour left of the session.
The stewards immediately announced they were investigating the incident and summoned both drivers to appear at an inquiry before second practice.
“Wow that was close,” said Drugovich who had a close-up view of the incident in the Aston.
Kimi Antonelli was reporting loss of power in his Mercedes over the team radio early on with the Italian teenaged rookie, who has made such a bright start to his career, forced back into the garage, missing almost the entire session.
Ferrari have brought upgrades to Bahrain but Lewis Hamilton was quickly complaining about lack of balance.
With tire compounds set up for the cooler evening temperatures drivers were complaining of lack of grip.
Liam Lawson described it as “shocking” in his second run out for RB after being demoted by Red Bull.
Hamilton was asked if he wanted to have another lap before a quick return to the pits but the reply was short, sharp and an unambiguous ‘no’
“It feels horrendous, mate,” said Hamilton.
Alpine, the only team arriving at this desert track still pointless, will have been encouraged by Gasly’s effort in jumping to lead the timesheets late on.
But Norris quickly asserted control with a lap of 1min 33.204s, from Gasly at 0.0238
Seven-time champion Hamilton’s afternoon improved as he ended up with the third quickest time after switching to the faster softs.
Yuki Tsunoda replaced Lawson as Verstappen’s teammate last weekend and the Japanese driver came in ninth ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, winner in China.
Meet Ali Al-Shabeeb, the Geordie Saudi who scored at Wembley and dreams of SPL move
- The 24-year-old spoke to Arab News about growing up in Newcastle, playing for Darlington and almost signing for Al-Qadsiah
LONDON: When Ali Al-Shabeeb starts talking, his Geordie accent is unmistakable. Although he was born in Dammam, Al-Shabeeb left Saudi Arabia when he was 8 years old to move with his family to Newcastle. He went to school there, stayed in the northeast of England to go to Northumbria University, and now plays football there too, for FC Darlington.
“When I first came here, I did not speak an ounce of English,” Al-Shabeeb told Arab News. “My dad was studying for his PhD, so he brought us all across, but I didn’t even play football then. I was a tennis player.
“But you can’t grow up in Newcastle without seeing the love and joy that football gives people, and so of course I started playing and kept improving to the level that I was able to think about having a career in the game.”
Picked for the prestigious English Universities side while studying at Northumbria, Al-Shabeeb recalls facing the likes of ex-Manchester United players Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes in youth football tournaments.
Al-Shabeeb was still at university when he made history in 2021. Playing for non-league Consett AFC, the young Saudi forward helped his team reach the FA Vase final at Wembley Stadium, the iconic home of England’s national team. Although Consett lost the final 3-2, Al-Shabeeb became the first player from the Kingdom to score at Wembley.
“If I’m being totally honest, I had it in the back of my mind the night before,” Al-Shabeeb recalled, smiling. “Sitting in the hotel, I remember thinking, ‘You’ve actually got a chance to score at Wembley tomorrow.’
“I didn’t have any nerves going into the match, and then I scored the first goal of the game. It was surreal, incredible. When you think about all the players who have scored goals at Wembley, it is difficult to believe and hard to describe how it feels.
“The only disappointing thing was it was during COVID-19, so there were no fans. I wish my family could have been there and we could have enjoyed playing in front of a big crowd.”
News of the Wembley goal made it all the way back to the Kingdom, and Al-Shabeeb soon found himself being approached by Saudi clubs about a professional contract.
The most exciting offer came from Al-Qadsiah, who were then playing in the Saudi First Division. Al-Shabeeb was set to sign for the club, but then the deal fell through when a groin injury was identified in his medical. Since then, Al-Qadsiah have enjoyed a meteoric rise and are currently third in the Saudi Pro League table and the King’s Cup semifinals.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow if I’m being totally honest,” Al-Shabeeb admitted. “Qadsiah would have been the right environment for me to improve and develop in Saudi Arabia. But these things happen in football, and I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had.
“Still, I honestly believe if I had signed for Qadsiah then I would still be there now. I think playing in English football has given me knowledge and experience that no other Saudi player has. I can handle myself physically but have the technical ability too.”
Al-Shabeeb ended up having surgery on his groin and moved to the Kingdom in the summer of 2022, joining Saudi First Division side Al-Sahel. He later played for Al-Qaisumah too, coming up against Michel’s Al-Qadsiah on their way to winning the Saudi First Division title last season.
“It was funny going back home to Saudi Arabia because there were four foreign players in the squad, but everyone would see me as a foreigner more than a Saudi player,” Al-Shabeeb said.
“I always got on really well with the foreign players — we had Brazilians and Portuguese — because I think we had a lot more in common. But of course, I speak Arabic too, so I really found myself to be a bridge between the two sets of players in the dressing room. It’s a nice position to be in when you can be that connection.”
Al-Shabeeb struggled to find his feet back in the country of his birth, and he felt his development was stifled as coaches regularly came and went.
“I didn’t have anyone to take me under his wing to show me the ropes,” he said. “I used to ask my coaches how I could develop, but it was more of a ‘keep your mouth shut and move on’ type of approach; no one seemed to like me asking these questions.
“Things didn’t quite click at either club, and that’s why I moved back to Darlington. I needed to get my love for the game back, and that’s exactly what has happened.”
At Darlington, Al-Shabeeb’s coach is Steve Watson, the former Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United defender who spent 14 seasons in the Premier League.
“Steve is a guy that has reached levels that me and my teammates wish we can. He’s also very honest and straight up. He took me in with no hesitation, and even though I felt pressure coming from a professional club in Saudi Arabia, he just let me play football.
“Even though we are in a league where teams like to kick it long, Steve wants us to play out from the back and actually play football. That’s what suits me best.”
Darlington play in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football, but Al-Shabeeb feels his experiences this season have left him better equipped to move back to Saudi Arabia.
“There are a few teams that have shown an interest from the Saudi First Division, and that is probably the best step for me right now,” Al-Shabeeb said.
“Obviously I would love to play in the Pro League, but there are so many great foreign players moving to Saudi Arabia now; in the First Division, there are more spots on the teams for Saudis, so it’s better for me.”
Al-Shabeeb admits it will be a wrench to leave Newcastle, his home for the majority of the past 17 years. But there remains an inextricable link between the city and Saudi Arabia; Al-Shabeeb has seen firsthand how the city has changed since the Saudi Public Investment Fund bought Newcastle United in 2021.
“It has been amazing since the takeover,” Al-Shabeeb said. “When I first came to Newcastle in 2008 and people asked where I was from, I’d say, ‘Saudi Arabia,’ and they’d respond with, ‘Where is that?’
“I remember I would just say, ‘Near Dubai,’ as more people had that as a reference point in the Middle East. There were never any other Saudis in school; we were the only ones.
“But since the takeover, I have seen so many more Saudis in Newcastle, it’s mad. The city has a lot of love for Saudi Arabia because of how well the team is doing. Now when people find out I’m from Saudi, there is more of an understanding and of course people also love that I sound like a Geordie!”
Dubai World Cup 2025 sets new attendance record
- Over 65,000 racing fans attended the festival at Meydan Racecourse
DUBAI: The 29th edition of the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse last weekend attracted a crowd of more than 65,000 racing enthusiasts to set a new record for the venue.
This year’s event also raised the bar in terms of prize money with $30.5 million up for grabs across nine world-class races. The prestigious Group 1 $12 million Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline, was claimed by Hit Show, trained in the United States by Brad Cox, adding another thrilling chapter to the sport’s rich legacy. There were also winners from the UAE, UK, and Japan, underscoring the event’s international allure.
“This year’s Dubai World Cup meeting was nothing short of phenomenal,” said Ali Al-Ali, CEO and board member of Dubai Racing Club. “Attendance surged by 18 percent compared to 2024, a testament to the dedication of our incredible team, sponsors, and partners — and to the growing global excitement surrounding racing in Dubai.”
Meanwhile, the Dubai World Cup closing ceremony put on a drone and light show that broke three Guinness World Records — for the second consecutive year:
• Largest aerial image of a mammal made by multirotor/drones
• Largest flying LED screen formed by multirotor/drones
• Largest aerial image of a trophy formed by multirotor/drones
The Dubai World Cup was broadcast by 37 channels in 170 countries, with event airing for the first time on Australia’s Channel 7 public TV, joining major networks from the US, South America, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, Hong Kong, and the UAE’s own Dubai Racing and Yas TV.
The Dubai World Cup will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Salah signs new contract to stay at Liverpool
- “I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” Salah said in a statement
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract to extend his eight-year stay at Anfield, the Premier League club said on Friday.
“Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” Salah said in a statement.
“It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.
“I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”
Rybakina leads Kazakhstan to a 2-1 win over Australia in BJK Cup
- Czech Republic beat Brazil 2-1 in Ostrava in Group B, while the Netherlands cruised past Germany 3-0 in The Hague in Group F
- Poland, without French Open champion Iga Swiatek after the world No. 2 opted out of the tournament to focus on her training ahead of the clay season, beat Switzerland 3-0 in Radom
BRISBANE: Elena Rybakina showcased her prowess to beat Kimberly Birrell 6-3 7-6(4) as Kazakhstan secured a 2-1 win over Australia in their Billie Jean King Cup Group D qualifier in Brisbane on Thursday.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, went down an early break but cranked up her powerful forehand and drew level after six games before claiming the opening set with an ace.
Birrell raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set but squandered a set point and Rybakina clawed her way back with some ferocious shot-making to clinch victory in the tiebreak.
“It was such a difficult match,” said Rybakina, who secured her eighth victory in 10 singles matches since her debut in the competition in 2021.
“I’m super happy to bring the win for the team ... it’s always nice to be back in Australia.”
Earlier at the Pat Rafter Arena, Yulia Putintseva gave Kazakhstan an early lead with a 6-2 6-1 win over debutant Maya Joint.
However, Australia’s Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez claimed the third match of the night with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva in the doubles.
Czech Republic beat Brazil 2-1 in Ostrava in Group B, while the Netherlands cruised past Germany 3-0 in The Hague in Group F.
Poland, without French Open champion Iga Swiatek after the world No. 2 opted to skip their Group E ties to focus on her training ahead of the clay season, beat Switzerland 3-0 in Radom.
Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins were among a trio of players to withdraw from the US team, which plays Denmark on Saturday in Group C, for the three-day qualifiers.
Teams have been divided into six round-robin groups of three in the qualifiers this year with the winners joining hosts China and 2024 champions Italy at the Finals in Shenzhen toward the end of the season.
