Copa América: Messi looks to repeat, U.S. hosts and what else to watch for
The oldest international soccer tournament in the world kicks off Thursday night – with Atlanta hosting Copa América's opening match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Lionel Messi and reigning champion Argentina will start their defense against Canada in what could be the all-time great’s final international tournament.
The 48th edition of Copa América is being held across 14 U.S. cities. Though it is usually reserved for South American CONMEBOL teams, six teams from the CONCACAF region, in which Mexico and the U.S. play, will feature.
Do they stand a chance against the might of South American fútbol, or will Messi add another major trophy to his legendary career?
NPR’s Michel Martin talked to Jon Arnold, a soccer journalist who runs the newsletter Getting CONCACAfed, and who will be covering this year’s tournament.
Here’s what he’s watching for:
This could be Messi’s last international tournament
The Argentina and Inter Miami FC forward is nearing the twilight of his career. But Messi is not showing any signs of slowing down and his team are favorites to repeat as champions, Arnold says.
“Even though Messi is getting old in a soccer sense, he's still one of the best players in the world. He proved it in 2022 when Argentina won the World Cup. He proved it the year before that when Argentina won this tournament, the Copa América,” Arnold said.
What the U.S. Men’s National Team has to prove
Arnold says the pressure is on primarily for Coach Gregg Berhalter, who is hoping to lead the team into the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S., Mexico and Canada will host.
If things don’t go well, Arnold said, “then there's going to be plenty of people saying that they could do a better job and asking for a different manager. So I really think that the U.S. has a big chance to prove that they're on the right track. But you could also see a team that maybe needs a different direction.”
But does the USMNT stand a chance to win the tournament?
Arnold says he can’t quite see the U.S. knocking out Argentina or winning the tournament, but the team has improved.
“When you look at this tournament, it's Argentina and the chasing pack. But if the U.S. is in that pack, that's progress,” Arnold said.
What other countries should viewers keep an eye out for
Arnold says he’s excited to see Uruguay, Argentina’s neighbor.
“They're a small country, but they've really punched above their weight on the international soccer level,” Arnold said. “They're going to have games against the U.S. in the group stage, and then they'll likely play Brazil [or] Colombia in the next round. I think it's going to be a really fun team to watch if you want to go a little deeper than just the U.S.”
Invited teams from CONCACAF also might make for a more competitive tournament, Arnold says.
“The U.S., Mexico, even countries like Costa Rica and Panama have shown that they can compete with some of these bigger teams from South America in recent international competitions,” Arnold said. “So I do think it'll add an extra element of difficulty for a lot of the South American teams that want to lift their continental championship.”
What’s the structure?
The 16-team field is split into four groups. Each team will play three games in the group stage. The top two teams from each group will move on to the knockout stage.
The groups are:
Group A: Argentina, Canada, Chile, Peru
Group B: Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Venezuela
Group C: Bolivia, Panama, United States, Uruguay
Group D: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay
The final is set for July 14 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
How to watch:
Matches will be broadcast on FOX, FS1 and FS2. Spanish-language broadcasts will be available on Univision, TUDN and UniMas.
Matches will also be streamed on the Fox Sports app and in Spanish on Vix+, Univision’s streaming platform.
The digital version of this story was edited by Treye Green.
Transcript
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The U.S. is hosting the Copa America this year, and the opening game kicks off tonight in Atlanta between the reigning champions, Argentina, and Canada. The international soccer tournament is one of the sport's oldest. Sixteen teams from North, Central and South America are taking part. But if you haven't been paying attention, you might want to this year. We're going to tell you why - or rather, Jon Arnold is going to. He writes about soccer, and he's joining us from Dallas, Texas, which is not far from Arlington, where three of the tournament's matches will be played. Good morning, Jon.
JON ARNOLD: Morning.
MARTIN: So Copa America is typically just for teams from South America, but things are a little different this year. How so?
ARNOLD: Yeah. We've got six teams invited from the Concacaf region, which is global soccer's governing body for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. There's this big energy around the sport in the United States, with Lionel Messi of Argentina playing in our domestic league, Major League Soccer, and just a lot of people wanting to, quite frankly, make money off of fans in the U.S. and capitalize on the energy around the sport.
So Copa America was held as a special edition in the United States in 2016. That was celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the tournament. This time around, the planned host country, Ecuador, said quite far in advance that they might not be able to host because of infrastructure issues. The U.S. made a natural sort of host, and I guess we get six invited teams, including the U.S, for the privilege of hosting, so it's going to be 16 teams. It also makes an easier knockout tournament, when you're actually putting the bracket together, if you have 16 instead of 10, so...
MARTIN: Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. How do you think it'll change the tournament?
ARNOLD: Traditionally, the invited teams that they bring in to make the numbers - literally to make the bracket better - haven't really challenged. Now and then, there's a run, but I think, this time around, it should be more competitive. The U.S, Mexico, even countries like Costa Rica and Panama, have shown that they can compete with some of these bigger teams from South America in recent international competitions, so I do think it'll add an extra element of difficulty for a lot of the South American teams that want to lift their continental championship.
MARTIN: So I understand that you are planning to attend the U.S. debut Sunday against Bolivia. What are you looking forward to seeing in that match?
ARNOLD: Well, I think it's a tournament with a lot of pressure for U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter with that 2026 World Cup coming to American soil. I think that, whatever happens, if the person leading that team into that World Cup is going to end up being the most famous manager of the men's national team - and the most kind of criticized and under pressure, as well - to me, that starts this summer because Berhalter has a chance to prove - to start things out against Bolivia and then prove in the group stage that he's the right person to lead the team and have that privilege ahead of the 2026 tournament. But of course, in sports, if things don't go well, then there's going to be plenty of people saying that they could do a better job and asking for a different manager.
MARTIN: Yeah.
ARNOLD: So I really think that the U.S. has a big chance to prove that they're on the right track, but you could also see a team that maybe needs a different direction.
MARTIN: Well, OK, true, you know, facts. In all of sports, people are rough. But when the U.S. is expected to be, you know, good, Argentina won the cup last time, returns with Lionel Messi as captain - I mean, he's one of the greatest of all time. Does - keeping it real, does the U.S. stand a chance against Messi...
ARNOLD: I don't think they'll...
MARTIN: ...And Argentina?
ARNOLD: Yeah, well, and in that 2016 tournament, the U.S. stood a chance and looked great until they saw Lionel Messi and Argentina. Even though Messi's getting old in a soccer sense, he's still one of the best players in the world. He proved it in 2022 when Argentina won the World Cup. He proved it the year before that, when Argentina won this tournament, the Copa America. When you look at this tournament, for me, it's Argentina and a chasing pack. But if the U.S. is in that pack, that's progress. That hasn't traditionally been the case. So I don't think they'll beat Messi. I don't think they'll beat Argentina. But to be in the discussion would be something positive.
MARTIN: Right, fun to watch - so speaking of that, which matchups are you looking forward to in the coming weeks?
ARNOLD: I'm really excited to see what happens with Uruguay, the Argentine neighbor. They're a small country, but they've really punched above their weight on the international soccer level. They have Marcelo Bielsa as their current coach, known as El Loco - the crazy one - for how intense he is, how much preparation he puts into games. They're going to have games against the U.S. in the group stage, and then they'll likely play Brazil or Colombia in the next round. I think it's going to be a really fun team to watch if you want to go a little deeper than just the U.S.
MARTIN: All right. That is sports journalist Jon Arnold. Jon, thank you.
ARNOLD: My pleasure. Thanks.
(SOUNDBITE OF SEU JORGE AND ALMAZ SONG, "CIRANDAR") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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