The Copa America 2024 is a few days away, as the footballers take the final preparation for the quadrennial international men's soccer championship hosted by South America's football governing organisation, CONMEBOL. The competition is set to take place in the United States of America. The 16 teams, including the regular 10 from CONMEBOL and six representatives from CONCACAF, have been divided into four groups, and the top two will advance to the knockout stage.
Argentina is the tournament's defending champions, having defeated Brazil in the final on the previous occasion, with Angel Di Maria scoring the game-winning goal. The La Albiceleste will seek to defend their title once more. But the other teams will look to earn the major silverware and become the best in America. The event is a precursor to the 2026 World Cup, which will be held by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
There have been some changes to the rule that will be applied teams will have the option of an additional substitution in the event of a concussion or suspected head trauma during the game. As of now, five substitutes can be used in a game, this rule was implemented during the COVID-19 time to protect players from the demands of an increasingly attritional sport.
Here are the 16 participating teams:
CONMEBOL
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Chile
- Paraguay
- Bolivia
CONCACAF
- Panama
- Mexico
- United States
- Jamaica
- Canada
- Costa Rica
Groups of Copa America
Group A: Argentina, Peru, Chile, Canada
Group B: Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica
Group C: United States, Uruguay, Panama, Bolivia
Group D: Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica
Where and When will the tournament start?
The tournament will begin on 20th June at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the home stadium NFL's Falcons. The opening ceremony begins at 18:00 ET/15:00 PT/ 5:30 AM IST, followed by the initial match between reigning champions Argentina and Canada in Group A play.
Also Read: Copa America 2024: All-Time top 5 assisters in history of the tournament
Where to Watch Copa America 2024?
India: Sony Sports and Fancode
United Kingdom: Premier Sports
United States: Fox Sports (English), TUDN (Spanish)