Special Edition: Welcome to Leo season

The CONMEBOL COPA América, or the COPA América as it’s commonly known, features 16 teams from North, Central, and South America ready to lay it all on the pitch for continental glory. This is the 48th edition of the (usually) quadrennial event, which is the oldest international soccer tournament in the world.

• Because the event always features South America’s finest, the 10 teams from CONMEBOL (South America’s Football Confederation) receive automatic berths while this year’s six invited teams are all from Concacaf and qualified through the Concacaf Nations League.

The tournament consists of two stages. First, the three-game round robin group stage, which splits the 16 teams into four groups. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage by accumulating the most points — three for a win, one for a draw, zero for a loss.

• The knockout stage kicks off on July 4th and includes the quarter-finals, semifinals, and a final scheduled for July 14th at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

• This is only the second time the US has hosted the event — the perfect warmup for a little something called the 2026 men’s World Cup.

Though considerably smaller than the also underway UEFA men’s Euro, COPA América still packs plenty of punch with world No. 1 Argentina and No. 4 Brazil headlining a staunch lineup, which also includes the surging No. 11 USMNT and a rising No. 48 Canadian contingent.

The favorite: Tourney faves, reigning World Cup champs, 15-time COPA América winners — it’s Argentina’s world, and we’re just living in it. The perennial powerhouse’s roster is nearly identical to the one that hoisted the World Cup trophy 18 months ago as La Albiceleste chase their third straight major championship.

The dark horses: Even though group (and tournament) glory is Argentina’s to lose, Group A’s still serving up spice. Chile needs veteran forward Alexis Sánchez’s best to balance out an inconsistent stretch for La Roja while Peru’s star forward Edison Flores must find the back of the net if La Blanquirroja want to make some noise.

• And don’t count out Canada, who boast the red and white’s best attacking duo ever in Jonathan David and Cyle Larin. Plus, with world class talent Alphonso Davies helming the backline and a new head coach in Jesse Marsch, they might just pull off an upset or two.

A player to watch: The aforementioned Lionel Messi is a maestro with the football — his playmaking abilities are second to none and his creativity on the pitch is Picasso-esque. As the soon-to-be 37-year-old shoots for the most goals in tournament history, only time will tell how much more golden hardware Messi adds to his trophy case.

The favorites: Mexico are the frontrunners in Group B, but El Tri have been shells of themselves as of late, losing 4–0 to Uruguay and 3–2 to Brazil in last week’s tune-up matches. Some might call it a rebuild, others a roster shake-up — whatever it is, Mexico needs to find their form ASAP.

• Ecuador doesn’t have the championship pedigree of Mexico — their best finish in the last 40 years was fourth in 1993 — but they do have youth (like defender Piero Hincapié and midfielder Moisés Caicedo) and experience, namely forward Enner Valencia. A match made in footy heaven.

The dark horses: With nine players sporting fewer than 10 international caps, Venezuela’s inexperience on the international stage is definitely a weakness. But a superhuman effort from goalie Rafael Romo could help La Vinotinto advance to their third knockout stage appearance in the last four tournaments.

• Meanwhile, Jamaica’s tournament story already has some plot twists after superstar forward Leon Bailey didn’t accept his spot on the Reggae Boyz roster. Not to mention, Jamaica’s already without their captain, goalie Andre Blake. *gulps*

A player to watch: Ecuador’s wunderkind Kendry Páez. From his fancy footwork to his pitch vision, there’s a reason the 17-year-old is joining his teammate, the aforementioned Caicedo, at Premier League club Chelsea in 2025. Remember the name.

The favorites: Group C is shaping up to be a two-horse race with both the US and Uruguay fielding stout squads. This is arguably the best US group to hit the international pitch ever — but two tough friendlies, including a 5–1 loss to Colombia earlier this month, beg the question: Can the Concacaf kings compete with the cream of the South American crop?

• Don’t let their No. 14 ranking fool you, Uruguay has beaten No. 1 Argentina and No. 4 Brazil in the last year. With superstars like midfielder Federico Valverde, defender José María Giménez, and forward Darwin Núñez, this team boasts elite talent at every position.

The rest of the group: Neither Bolivia, whose best player, striker Marcelo Martins Moreno, retired last year, nor Panama are expected to put up much of a fight against the American and Uruguayan attacks, but stranger things have happened on the international stage.

A player to watch: Christian “Captain America” Pulisic is coming off a stellar first season at AC Milan, notching 13 goals and 8 assists. Touted as the best American men’s footballer ever, Pulisic has a knack for finding the back of the net in the USMNT’s biggest moments. Red, white, and booyah.

The favorites: The iconic Ronaldinho is back in their corner, but the pressure’s still on for Brazil after a disappointing 2022 World Cup and a recent qualifying stint in which the Seleção Canarinha dropped three straight for the first time since 2001. But the slump isn’t from a lack of starpower — Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Endrick headline an explosive attack, stepping up to fill the cleats of still-injured Neymar.

• And while Brazil has floundered lately, Colombia is unbeaten in 23 games, a streak that dates back to February 2022. Expect forward Luis Díaz to pack his dancing shoes and lead a Colombian contingent that’s tough, physical, and opportunistic.

The dark horses: Recent success has evaded both Costa Rica and Paraguay heading into this year’s tournament. Costa Rica will certainly miss the leadership of veteran goalie Keylor Navas after his recent retirement from the national team while Paraguay has been struggling offensively, failing to score in four of their last five games. Not good.

A player to watch: The aforementioned Vinicius Junior is an absolute force on the club pitch and led his club team Real Madrid to Champions League and La Liga trophies this year. But the top Ballon d'Or candidate has only three goals in 30 games for his country. Pressure makes diamonds — will Vini Jr. finally shine bright for the Canarinha?