Di 2024 edition of di Copa America don start on Friday wit Argentina beating Canada 2-0 in di opening match. Julian Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez na dem score di goals.
Dis year tournament dey happun for di United States of America, afta Ecuador wey bin suppose host am pull out in 2022.
Copa America bin start in 1916 as di tournament for kontris wey dey for South America. Dat time im name na ‘South American Football Championship’, until dem change am in 1975.
Di tournament dey involve 16 teams – 14 from kontris from South America, and two teams wey dem go invite from di Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf).
But dis year, na six teams from Concaf dey take part in di tournament: Di US, Mexico, Jamaica, Canada, Costa Rica and Panama.
Groups
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
Di top two for each group go qualify for quarter finals.
Due to time zone differences, di time for di matches go dey be around midnight or very early morning for Africa.
Argentina na di current champions afta dem lift di trophy in di 2020 edition wey dem later play in 2021 sake of di Covid pandemic.
Stadiums
Dem go play matches for 14 stadiums across several cities such as California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, etc.
Here na di stadiums:
- AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas
- Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
- Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas
- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Who be di favourites?
Football sabi pipo dey tok say Argentina remain di favourites to win dis tournament, but Brazil fit pour sand for dia garri sake of di talents wey dey dia team, including Real Madrid forwards Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and one of di hottest youngsters for world football now, Enderick, wey go also join Madrid next season.
If Brazil win di cup, e go be dia 11th in total and fifth for dis century, and e go almost cement Vinicius Jr position to win di Ballon d’Or afta e help Madrid win La Liga and di Champions league.
But nobody fit overlook any team wey get Lionel Messi. Di Argentine na arguably di best ever footballer, and dis tournament fit be im last for im national side as e go dey 39 years by di next world cup in 2026.
“E depend on how I feel, how I dey physically and to know whether I still dey di level to be able to compete and help my team-mates,” Messi tok wen tori pipo ask am whether e go play for di next World cup.
Also, Argentina get beta players like Julian Alvarez of Manchester City, lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan, and Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United.
Uruguay fit also pull a surprise wit dia Manager, di legendary Marcel Bielsa and stars like Federico Valverde of Real Madrid and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool.
