The CONMEBOL Copa America is the pinnacle football tournament of South American nations and it kicks off on Thursday with CONCACAF invitees participating.
One of those invitees will open the tournament against some daunting opposition. Canada will face reigning FIFA World Cup champions Argentina in the tournament opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Argentina is also the defending Copa America champion after winning the title in 2012 which was their 15th. The team coached by Lionel Scaloni features two iconic players who could be playing in their last tournament – Angel di Maria, who scored the winning goal in the 2021 final against Brazil, and Lionel Messi, the player with the most appearances and goals in the tournament.
Canada is one of six CONCACAF nations participating in this year’s tournament. They qualified for Copa America after defeating Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League Play-In in March.
The other CONCACAF teams in the fray are Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, Panama, and Jamaica.