Copa América Will Return to U.S. in 2024

It is not uncommon for the Copa América to include “guest teams” from other regions. But for 2024 the teams from Concacaf will qualify through the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League, rather than by invitation. A guest team has never won the Copa América, although Mexico made the final in 1993 and 2001. The United States has appeared in the tournament four times, making two semifinal appearances.

The federations said the expanded Copa América would serve, in part, as a vital window of top-level preparation in the Western Hemisphere ahead the 2026 World Cup, which is to be co-hosted in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The tournament will be held from mid-June to mid-July 2024, putting it in scheduling conflict with that summer’s European Championship, a tent-pole event on the soccer calendar that is held every four years, but keeping both tournaments well clear of the Paris Olympics that open in late July 2024.

Argentina won the most recent Copa América in 2021, a career highlight for Lionel Messi, and his first major national team title. He and Argentina followed that with a World Cup win in 2022. In all, Argentina and Uruguay have won 15 Copa Américas each and Brazil nine.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/27/sports/soccer/copa-america-2024.html