Copa América: Lionel Messi with a chance for late revenge for final defeats – Argentina meets Chile – Eurosport

Explosive preliminary round duel for defending champions Argentina, tricky task for Brazil: The two top favorites were drawn into interesting groups in the draw for the Copa América 2024.

While soccer superstar Lionel Messi and his Argentinian world champions have the chance for late revenge against Chile in the new edition of the 2015 and 2016 Copa finals, Neymar’s Brazil will face Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica or Honduras in the first phase of the tournament.

Argentina, which lost the 2015 and 2016 finals on penalties against Chile, will also face Peru as well as Canada or Trinidad and Tobago in Group A. The record winner is aiming for title number 16 next summer. Brazil, which lost to its arch-rivals Argentina (0-1) in the final of the last edition in 2021, is chasing its ninth Copa triumph.

Uruguay, which like Argentina has won the continental tournament 15 times, will face hosts USA, Panama and Bolivia in Group C. Mexico will face Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica in Group B.

The Copa America, which has been held since 1916, will be played in the USA next year (June 20 to July 14) and will serve as a test run for the 2026 World Cup finals, which will also be held in the USA as well as Canada and Mexico.

This is only the second time that the Copa, which is considered the oldest national tournament in football, is taking place outside of “home” latitudes. The USA hosted the South American tournament in 2016, to which teams from North and Central America have also been invited since 1993.