The 2024 Copa América was the 48th edition of the Copa América, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL.[1] The tournament was held in the United States from June 20 to July 14, 2024, and was co-organized by CONCACAF.[2]
The 2024 Copa América had been expected to be hosted by Ecuador because of CONMEBOL's host rotation order. However, it was run by America because[7] CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez said Ecuador had been nominated but not yet chosen to organize the edition. In November 2022, the country declined to host the tournament.[8] Peru and the United States had both expressed interest in organizing the tournament.[1][9]
The tournament included sixteen teams: ten from CONMEBOL and six from CONCACAF.[2] All ten CONMEBOL national teams were eligible to enter.
The six CONCACAF participants qualified through the 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League.[2] The teams were the four League A quarter-final winners, and two play-off round winners between the four losing quarter-finalists.[14] Unlike the Copa América Centenario, the United States did not qualify automatically despite being the hosts, but still secured a berth as one of League A quarter-final winners, following a 4–2 aggregate win against Trinidad and Tobago.
The group stage draw was held on December 7, 2023, at 19:30 EST (UTC−5) in the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida.[15] The sixteen teams were drawn into four groups of four, by selecting one team from each of the four ranked pots.
For the draw, the four teams in Pot 1 were pre-seeded into their respective groups, determined as follows:
The reigning Copa América champions, Argentina, were seeded into Group A
The reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champions, Mexico, were seeded into Group B
The highest ranked CONCACAF team in the October 2023 FIFA World Rankings, the United States, was seeded into Group C
The next-highest ranked CONMEBOL team in the October 2023 FIFA World Rankings, Brazil, was seeded into Group D
The remaining 12 teams were placed into Pots 2–4 according to their October 2023 World Rankings, with placeholders for the two CONCACAF participants yet to be determined at the time of the draw each being automatically placed into Pot 4.[16]
For the draw, the competition rules stated that no group could have more than three CONMEBOL teams or more than two CONCACAF teams. If this condition was not met during the draw, the team moved to the next available group in alphabetical order.[17]
The maximum squad size of the teams was increased from the original quota of 23 to 26 players. Teams had to provide the list containing a minimum of 23 players and a maximum of 26 by the deadline of June 15.[18]
Match officials
On May 24, 2024, CONMEBOL announced 101 referees for the tournament. Referees were from CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, and UEFA because of the continuation of the UEFA–CONMEBOL memorandum of understanding. Italian official Maurizio Mariani, with his assistants Daniele Brindoni and Alberto Tegoni, along with Marco Di Bello and Aleandro Di Paolo (VAR), represented UEFA. This was the first edition of the Copa América to feature female referees. Four referees from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final were incorporated, including Tori Penso and her assistants Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, as well as VAR official Tatiana Guzmán. Edina Alves and assistants Neuza Back, Mary Blanco, Migdalia Rodríguez also took part in the tournament.[19]
In the pre-final knockout stage matches (quarter-finals, semi-finals, and third place play-off), no extra time was played and any draws were immediately resolved via penalties. In the final, if the score was level after 90 minutes, two extra time periods of 15 minutes each were to be played. If still level, the match was to be decided by a penalty shootout. [16]
Due to security incidents around and within Hard Rock Stadium, the match was initially delayed by 30 minutes, ultimately starting 82 minutes after its scheduled time.[51][52][53][54]
Copa América content was added to EA Sports FC 24's Ultimate Team and EA Sports FC Mobile in June 2024, although a standalone tournament mode was not made available in the game.[71][72][73]
The Panini Group produced thematic stickers and a sticker album for this edition of the Copa América. Stickers were produced for all the Copa América teams, as well as Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago, the teams that failed to qualify for the main draw through the play-offs.[74]
The tournament's official mascot was unveiled on December 7, 2023, during the group stage draw. It was an eagle named "Capitán", the Spanish word for captain. The inspiration for the choice of an eagle as the mascot for the 2024 Copa América, was "born from the symbolism that this majestic animal has in various cultures of the Americas, illustrating strength, boldness, and excellence."[144]
Match ball
The match balls of this tournament were provided by Puma for the first time after twenty years of partnership with Nike ended in 2023. The "Puma Cumbre" was unveiled during the draw for the group stage of the competition on December 7, 2023.[145]
Music
Instead of one official song, multiple songs, in Spanish (the tournament's official language) and English (the main language of the host country), were used for the tournament. A customized version of "Puntería" by Colombian singer Shakira served as the Spanish-language official song of the tournament, with it also being used for TUDN's coverage.[146]
Controversies and incidents
Pitch quality
The tournament's pitch dimensions and grass surface was met with significant controversy amongst fans, players, and commentators alike. The smaller pitch sizes in the venues of the tournament, with most of them being used for American football, measured 110 yards (100 m) by 70 yards (64 m), compared to FIFA's standard of 115 yards (105 m) by 74 yards (68 m), was reported to likely influence the dynamics of the game, leading to more closely contested matches. In addition, grass cultivated in specially selected nurseries was attached to plastic layers that adhered to the field's surface. It was transported by truck and laid down with meticulous attention to detail, considering factors like watering, sunlight, and the delivery routes of the trucks, according to a statement issued by CONMEBOL. Frederico Nantes, CONMEBOL's director of competitions, stated that the dimensions and capacity of soccer-specific MLS venues influenced the decision to restrict their usage during the tournament. Factors such as venue size, travel distances between cities, and infrastructure were carefully evaluated before CONMEBOL concluded that the use of artificial turf was unavoidable, despite player concerns about that playing surface.[147][148][149]
After the inaugural match of the tournament, Argentina vs Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni and first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez called the newly installed grass surface a "disaster" in a post-game interview. "They knew seven months ago that we'd play here and they changed the field two days ago," Scaloni said. "It's not an excuse, but this isn't a good field. Sincerely, the field is not apt for these kinds of players. We gave not necessarily a good game, but a game according to the pitch and what the opponent proposed. We couldn't do much more with the conditions of the pitch." Martínez added on to Scaloni's comments by saying the pitch was, "Very bumpy. We must improve in this aspect; otherwise, Copa América will always appear at a lower level than the European Championship."[150][151][152]
After Peruvian player Luis Advíncula's achilles injury during his side's match against Chile, Peru head coach Jorge Fossati cited AT&T Stadium's unsatisfactory field as a potential reason for his injury: "It came out of nowhere. I realize that this is a grass field today but it's not normal grass. It's not grass that's born, and grows [naturally]. It's a grass they bring in from elsewhere. That can be a bit of a harder surface and it can affect you in that exact place [the Achilles]." Vinícius Júnior, Kamal Miller, James Rodríguez, and Chile's coach Ricardo Gareca were among other notable figures who expressed their concerns about the field conditions.[153]
"We started the project in June, when traveling to analyze fields and watch games here, and in November, we began inspections in all stadiums and all training centers," Maristela Kuhn, CONMEBOL's agricultural engineer, said. "Reports were generated with recommendations of everything that had to be done. We had meetings with the agronomists and programming. With a special technology, we had all the grass plantations defined."[151]
High ticket prices
There were concerns about overpriced tickets, with many fans feeling that the costs were excessive compared to previous tournaments. This sparked discussions about accessibility and the overall affordability of attending matches. Ticket resale markets, both official and unofficial, were prevalent in the United States. Statistics on resale tickets revealed significant price increases; according to TickPick, the average purchase price for the 2024 Copa América group stage was $187, which marked a 61% rise from 2016, when it was $116. The most expensive group stage ticket was for the match between Argentina and Peru, with average purchase price for the match reached $478. For the final, tickets were priced anywhere from $1,300 to $7,000 through websites such as Ticketmaster and SeatGeek. As a result, several matches saw low attendance.[154][155]
Referee management
The tournament was met with several poor refereeing incidents, the most notable of which included the United States vs Uruguay match; Uruguay's Mathías Olivera scored the only goal of the match in the 66th minute, but appeared to be offside when the ball was flicked on, yet a prolonged VAR review upheld the goal without summoning the match referee, Kevin Ortega, to the video monitor. Replays revealed a marginal overlap between Olivera's position and the foot of United States defender Chris Richards, potentially keeping the Uruguayan onside. There were other contentious non-decisions during the match, but the most peculiar incident, aside from the goal, occurred in the 32nd minute, when Ortega reached for a yellow card to book Richards. Uruguay quickly took the free kick, and just as Ortega was about to show the card, he raised his other arm signaling to play on. Nahitan Nández found himself through on goal but failed to score. Members of the United States team were very disappointed in the overall outcome of the match, particularly Christian Pulisic, who was seen showing his frustration to Ortega throughout the match, with Ortega refusing to shake Pulisic's hand after the final whistle, and head coach Gregg Berhalter stated in a post-game interview, "I don't understand it. You know, I feel like I know the rule pretty well. I feel like we had the pictures that are showing how the rule could be interpreted and it's an offside goal."[156]
Another match that involved questionable referee decisions was the Brazil vs Colombia match, when Venezuelan referee Jesús Valenzuela denied a penalty in the 42nd minute for Vinícius Júnior, to which CONMEBOL, in a statement after the match, acknowledged that a critical VAR mistake was made.[157]
Uruguay vs Colombia match altercation
In the aftermath of the semi-final match between Uruguay and Colombia, Uruguay forward Darwin Núñez was seen getting involved in a confrontation with fans of Colombia in the stadium stands.[158] The altercation reportedly took place near where family members and friends of the Uruguay team were situated,[159] with CONMEBOL later announcing it would investigate the incident.[160]
The altercation was highly condemned. Two days after the match, Uruguay's head coach Marcelo Bielsa, in a press conference interview, stated, "You know whose responsibility it is to protect the fans in the stands. You have to ask me whether the players have received an apology from those responsible for safeguarding security. The players reacted as any human being would have done if they saw that there was no escape or prevention and they were attacking their wife, mother, or baby."[161]
The Uruguayan players' involvement with the Colombian fans was supported by others, particularly from members of the Argentine national team. When interviewed about the situation, coach Lionel Scaloni commented, "The images were very upsetting, and I believe anyone in that situation would have acted the same way." Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez likened the altercations to a similar incident at a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match between Argentina and Brazil in November 2023; "I had family members in the stands close to what took place, watching the young people and women being beaten with clubs (by the Brazilian police). It was terrible to witness that. I wouldn't claim that I would do the same thing (fight with the fans), but I am supporting with the Uruguayan players, I think we need to improve security a bit more. When you see women or your parents being hit, obviously with Darwin and (Mathias) Olivera, players that I know personally, it's a very sad thing to see."[162] Colombian midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero also described the event as upsetting, "It's sad what happened and the people are not to blame. We don't want these kinds of things to happen when there's football. Nobody wants violence. Aggressive people who don't enjoy football shouldn't be in the stadiums."[163]
Argentina vs Colombia ticketless fans
During the final between Argentina and Colombia, thousands of ticketless fans rushed the stadium gates amidst major crowd congestion, resulting in CONMEBOL delaying the start time three times, first from 8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., then to 8:45 p.m., and finally to 9:22 p.m. The families of several Argentina players found themselves delayed at the gate. For example, the mother of Alexis Mac Allister stated in an interview that "He was worried and called us constantly to check on us, saying he would stay at the gate until we could get in."[51] Many of the areas and equipment such as escalators were damaged. Some fans were seen trying to enter the stadium through the ventilation system, and some people suffered medical issues from the heat and crowd crush.[51][52][53][54][164] Many ticketed fans were prevented from entering the stadium, leading to some seeking refunds.[165]
CONMEBOL's sanctions and Shakira's halftime performance
Several coaches have been sanctioned and received a one-match ban by CONMEBOL after returning back to the pitch later than the given fifteen minutes during their matches, including Lionel Scaloni during Argentina's match against Canada in the group stage, in which Canada's coach Jesse Marsch questioned, "I wish the referees would manage that. [Argentina] had that time to prepare how they wanted to play against us in the second half, which — if we would have known ahead of time that we could have an extra 10 minutes, then we could have prepared some things more", Uruguay's Marcelo Bielsa during their game with Bolivia, and Mexico's head coach Jaime Lozano during Mexico's match against Jamaica in Group B as the Jamaican players were waiting on the soccer field. Lozano later admitted he and his team were reviewing tactics, "I don't know if it's unfair. But we went through four or five plays, and I took too long. Yes, it's my responsibility. Normally we have some actions, some plays on the screen to correct, or to see what we are doing right. And there, I think I went a bit overboard."[166][167][168]
Colombia's head coach Néstor Lorenzo criticized CONMEBOL's decision to extend the length of the halftime break in the final by 10 minutes to accommodate Shakira's halftime set. "When the rules change suddenly for both teams, when the pitch is bad for both sides or when the time to rest between halves is the same for both teams, I can't tell you if it's good or bad or who has an advantage. I don't understand it to be honest," he explained in a news conference. "I think the halftime for the final should be 15 minutes because those are the rules. And because we've been fined when we've walked back onto the pitch 16 minutes later. But now apparently, because there's going to be a concert, we'll be walking back out 20 to 25 minutes later. This could affect the players fitness. They could cool down too much. Those minutes of recovery in the dressing room, people don't understand what it takes to reach those levels."[169]
Following Argentina's victory in the final, a video live-streamed by Enzo Fernández on social media showed the Argentine players celebrating with alleged racist chants toward the French national team. The French Football Federation announced it would be lodging a complaint with FIFA.[170][171][172] Fernández's club Chelsea announced it would investigate the video.[173][174] Some of Fernández's Chelsea teammates unfollowed him on all of his social media accounts, with his teammate Wesley Fofana described it as "uninhibited racism".[175][176] Fernández later apologized for the incident.[177][178]
Argentina President Javier Milei congratulated the team for the victory.[179] Many massive celebrations were held in Buenos Aires and Córdoba.[180]
^Mattos, Rodrigo (September 18, 2023). "Brax leva direitos da Copa América nos EUA" [Brax takes Copa America rights]. UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
^"[방송소식] 티빙, '2024 코파 아메리카' 전 경기 생중계" [TVING will broadcast all the matches of '2024 Copa America' at live.]. www.tving.com (in Korean). May 30, 2024. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
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