da pixbet: The defending champions will have a rematch at the site of an infamous defeat while the hosts should make the knockouts
da betobet: The buildup can now truly begin as the draw for the 2024 Copa America is now complete. We now which teams are matched up, know when and where they'll play and know what the pathways to a final could look like and, more importantly, who teams will need to go through to get their hands on that famous trophy.
For now, that trophy still belongs to Argentina, the winners of the most recent edition of this tournament. it was a famous win for Lionel Messi and co., one that set the stage for their World Cup triumph just one year later.
This time around, though, La Albiceleste will get the chance to face the team that kept this trophy out of their hands for so long: Chile. It's not unusual for the Copa America to give us fantastic grudge matches, but this one will be all the more personal as the two will face off at the same venue where Messi experienced one of the worst nights of his illustrious career.
As for the hosts, the U.S. men's national team, they'll be feeling relatively okay. A path to the knockouts is there, even if that path includes Darwin Nunez and Uruguay as one final roadblock.
Below,GOALruns through the winners and losers from Thursday's draw in Miami…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Lionel Messi and Argentina
You wanted revenge? You'll get your chance early!
Chile has proven to be Messi and Argentina's kryptonite in this tournament. They've beaten them twice in finals, with Chile winning back-to-back titles at Argentina's expense, including the most recent on U.S. soil. Much has changed since then, as Messi and Argentina have added a Copa America and, more importantly, a World Cup to their trophy case.
Still, you have to bet that Messi and co. will be excited to exercise their demons. Those two sides will face off in the second match of the group stage, coincidentally at MetLife Stadium, the venue where Chile triumphed in the second of those finals. In that match, Messi famously missed a penalty and temporarily retired. It was arguably the lowest moment of his professional career.
Because of that, you'd bet on Messi having that one circled as he gets another crack at Chile in this famous tournament. And, should Argentina get through the group, they'll have a friendly road to the semis and finals, too, as they can't meet Brazil or Uruguay until the final. Overall, a pretty good draw for the defending champions.
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Mexico
El Tri, as things stand, aren't in good form. Largely, it's been a rough year for the team, despite a Gold Cup win. They only squeaked into this tournament, after all, and pressure is only getting hotter on this team.
The draw wasn't as mean to them as it could have been, to be fair, but their path out of the group stage will be difficult. As things stand, Venezuela are fourth in CONMBEOL while Ecuador are fifth, as both sit ahead of the almighty Brazil. It's still early there, but it does show that both sides will be tough as they too will expect to get out of this group. Both, too, will be happy to have drawn Mexico, a team they'll see as ripe for the taking compared to the other three top seeds.
Rounding out the group will be Jamaica, a familiar face that won't be too afraid of El Tri. Given the teams involved, this group will be a grind, one where the second place team will almost certainly be "rewarded" with a match against Argentina. It's a tough run, for sure.
GettyWINNER: USMNT
For a few seconds there, it looked like this could turn to a nightmare scenario for Gregg Berhalter's side. If there was one team you wanted to avoid from the two seeds, it was Uruguay. Of course, they popped out for the U.S., giving them the toughest team from that pot.
That's the bad news. The good news is that the path out of the group should be manageable, to say the least.
The USMNT will start against Bolivia, the worst team in CONMEBOL. Their second match will then be against Panama, a team that the U.S. has beaten plenty of times in the past. Six points will be the bare minimum from those games. If you can't beat Bolivia and Panama in a tournament, you don't deserve to move on.
After that, the USMNT will face that Uruguay game, which, if all goes to plan, will be for the top spot in the group. That, of course, will matter as the U.S. looks to prove it can beat teams like Uruguay on their road to 2026. If they find themselves advancing out of the group stage, they'll likely be pitted against either Brazil or Colombia in the quarterfinals.
For the U.S., the path to the knockout stage is there, as are the big games Berhalter is so desperate for. It feels like the best of both worlds for a U.S. team that genuinely can go on a run if everything falls the right way.
GettyLOSER: Canada
If Canada are to qualify for this thing, and that remains a big "if", the road forward for them is certainly rough.
Canada must first take down Trinidad & Toabgo in a play-off to book their spot in this tournament, and, if they do, they get something special as a "reward": a group featuring Argentina, Chile and Peru. The optimist will see that group and see a chance to really play against good, World Cup-quality teams. The pessimist will look at that group in fear, knowing how good those teams are.
Like the U.S. and Mexico, these games are huge for Canada, who won't have World Cup qualifiers to contest. The federation also needs money, so making it into this competition will be massive. If they do, though, it'll be tough for stay in it for too long.
Since the World Cup, Canada has really struggled, and escaping those struggeles won't be made easier by this draw.