2024 Copa América draw: U.S. anticipates a ‘good challenge’ in group play
The U.S. was drawn into a group with Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia for next summer’s Copa América while Mexico will play Jamaica, Venezuela and Ecuador.
The 16-team tournament, featuring 10 teams from South America and six from CONCACAF, will kick off June 20 in Atlanta with reigning World Cup champion Argentina facing the winner of a March playoff between Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.
The 24-day tournament will be played in 14 stadiums across the U.S. Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium will host group-stage matches between Brazil and either Honduras or Costa Rica on June 24 and Mexico and Venezuela on June 26. The top two teams in each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals, with the final to be played at Hard Rock Stadium outside Miami.
The Copa América, the oldest international soccer competition in the world, will be a major part of the preparations for the 2026 World Cup for the U.S. and Mexico who, as hosts of the tournament, will not face a qualifying event.
The young U.S. team, ranked 12th in the latest FIFA rankings, will play No. 85 Bolivia in Arlington, Texas, on June 23 and No. 41 Panama on June 27 in Atlanta. Panama eliminated the U.S. on penalty kicks in last summer’s Gold Cup. The winner of the group will likely be decided July 1, the final day of pool play, when the U.S. plays No. 11 Uruguay at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
“It’s an opportunity. It will be a really good challenge for our group,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said on Fox. “We have to do a good job setting up the first two games that we play, then it will be a really meaningful game. In a way we’re controlling our own destiny by playing them last. If you take care of business in the first two games, you set up winner takes all.”
The last time the Copa América was played in the U.S., in 2016, the Americans reached the semifinals, where they lost to Lionel Messi and Argentina.
Mexico, ranked 14th in the world, will face Jamaica on June 22 in Houston and 34th-ranked Ecuador on June 30 in Glendale, Ariz., around the SoFi game with No. 49 Venezuela.
“The Copa América, in the end, is the most important preparation tournament because we do not have qualifying,” Mexican coach Jaime Lozano said. “We will have very strong teams. We want more of these games.”
Group A
June 20: Argentina vs. Canada-Trinidad and Tobago winner, Atlanta; Peru vs. Chile, Arlington, Texas
June 25: Chile vs. Argentina, East Rutherford, N.J.; Peru vs. Canada-Trinidad and Tobago winner, Kansas City, Mo.
June 29: Argentina vs. Peru, Miami Gardens, Fla.; Canada-Trinidad and Tobago winner vs. Chile, Orlando.
Group B
June 22: Mexico vs. Jamaica, Houston; Ecuador vs. Venezuela, Santa Clara
June 26: Mexico vs. Venezuela, Inglewood; Ecuador vs. Jamaica, Las Vegas
June 30: Mexico vs. Ecuador, Glendale, Ariz.; Jamaica-Venezuela, Austin, Texas
Group C
June 23: U.S. vs. Bolivia, Arlington, Texas; Uruguay vs. Panama, Miami Gardens, Fla.
June 27: U.S. vs. Panama, Atlanta; Uruguay-Bolivia, East Rutherford, N.J.
June 30: U.S. vs. Uruguay, Kansas City, Mo.; Bolivia vs. Panama, Orlando
Group D
June 24: Brazil vs. Costa Rica-Honduras winner, Inglewood; Colombia vs. Paraguay, Houston
June 28: Paraguay vs. Brazil, Las Vegas; Colombia vs. Costa Rica-Honduras winner
July 2: Brazil vs. Colombia, Santa Clara; Costa Rica-Honduras winner vs. Paraguay, Austin, Texas
Quarterfinals
July 4: Winner Group A vs. Runner-up Group B, Houston
July 5: Winner Group B vs. Runner-up Group A, Arlington, Texas
July 6: Winner Group D vs. Runner-up Group C, Glendale, Ariz.; Winner Group C vs. Runner-up Group D
Semifinals
July 9: East Rutherford, N.J.
July 10: Charlotte, N.C.
Final
July 14: Miami Gardens, Fla.
