Power ranking the top Copa América teams

In case the Euros weren’t enough soccer for you, the 2024 Copa América started last week, pitting the best teams in South America against each-other for the sport’s oldest continental prize. North American teams join the fold this year too, with the United States, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Panama joining their CONMEBOL neighbors to the south.

Hosted in the good ol’ U-S-of-A, the tournament kicked off on Thursday, with Argentina beating Canada 2-0 in Atlanta. The defending Copa América and World Cup champions are tournament favorites, and top our power rankings as the best team in this year’s tournament.

Here’s how the rest of the top ten teams at this year’s Copa América stack up:

Canada reached soaring heights in 2022 when they qualified for the World Cup for just the second time ever under ex-manager John Hardman. Les Rougues will look to build on their momentum on their first major international tournament since Qatar, this time with Jesse Marsch at the helm. The American favors an intense, high-pressing style that is well-suited for this athletic Canada team, highlighted by Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David. The “Golden Generation That Isn’t” will be playing with a maple leaf-sized chip on their shoulder and could escape Group A with a positive result against Chile. 🇨🇦

With players like like Miguel Almirón, Julio Enciso, and Ramón Sosa leading the lines, you’d think this Paraguay team should have no problem scoring goals. That hasn’t been the case, however, as the Albirroja have scored only one goal in their six World Cup qualifying matches headed into this tournament. One. While Paraguay’s defense, to their credit, only conceded thrice during in these games, the overall lack of goalscoring (one goal every 540 minutes) does not bode well for their odds of making it out of a tough Group D. It’s worth noting that Paraguay made the 2011 Copa América final with three draws in the group stage and scoreless draws in both the quarterfinals and the semifinals, so they do have a precedent for tournament success even when the goals aren’t coming. 🇵🇾 

This Chile team is nowhere near the golden generation that won the 2015 Copa América followed by the 2016 Copa América Centenario, but they’re still capable of making some noise coming out of Group A. With more caps (163) and goals (51) for Chile than any other player, Alexis Sánchez is still La Roja’s main man, despite playing sparingly with Inter last season. The 35-year-old proved he can thrive in his redefined role as a number ten, playing a crucial role in Chile’s close loss to France and comfortable wins over Paraguay and Albania in the build-up to the tournament. 🇨🇱 

Mexico seem to have the opposite problem as Paraguay: Goals are plentiful when they play, both for El Tri and their opposition. Conceding seven goals in two games headed into this tournament isn’t a great sign for Jaime Lozano’s back-line, whose average age is only 24.5 years old - highlighting just how inexperienced this Mexico team are. Gone from the side are mainstays Guillermo Ochoa, Hirving Lozano, and Raul Jimenez, having been replaced by the likes of 23-year-old Santiago Giménez and 26-year-old Edson Álvarez, who’ll need to step up to the occasion to emerge from what is one of the lowest points in El Tri’s history. 🇲🇽 

They aren’t sexy but any means, but Ecuador have a clear path to making a deep tournament run with their stout defense and favorable draw. With $147 million-man Moisés Caicedo pulling the strings in the midfield, Ecuador are seeking redemption after failing to progress to the knockout rounds in Qatar and are favorites to emerge from a relatively weak Group B. La Tricolor’s recent World Cup qualifying results – beating Uruguay 2-1, drawing with Colombia 0-0, and losing to Argentina 1-0 – show their defensive solidity, but questions remain about where goals will come from. Their likelihood of making a deep run lies on the shoulders of 34-year-old Enner Valencia. 🇪🇨 

Despite suffering their worst loss to Colombia since the War on Drugs, the United States bounced back in a big way with a credible 1-1 draw against Brazil in their last pre-tournament tune-up. The hosts will be led by Christian Pulisic, who shone at Milan last season and is back at the tournament where he made his debut for the Stars and Stripes in 2016. Captain America is far from the only big-time player in this squad, however. All 11 starters against Colombia play in Europe’s top five leagues. 21-year-old Gio Reyna has shown flashes of brilliance in an attacking midfield role, and will need to shoulder some of the playmaking burden from Pulisic for the USMNT to make it out of a deep Group C. 🇺🇸 

The last time Colombia lost a game Donald Trump could still vote. After failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, Los Cafeteros have thrived under new manager Néstor Lorenzo, going undefeated in 23 consecutive games dating back to February 1, 2022. Colombia have taken out Spain, Brazil, and the United States during this run, and are poised to make another deep run after finishing third in 2021. Luis Díaz will be Colombia’s primary goalscoring threat, and James Rodríguez remains a very capable central creator even at 32. Colombia fans shouldn’t get too excited, however; Colombia went into the 1984 World Cup on a similar 33-game undefeated run and failed to make it out of the group. 🇨🇴 

Uruguay boast a solid squad with the depth to challenge anyone in the tournament, and they’re peaking at the right time too. Marcelo Bielsa has put an end to the slow and dull brand of soccer Uruguay played in Qatar, transforming his team into high tempo and high energy pressing machine. The Argentine’s tactics appear to be working, as La Celeste currently sit second in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying despite facing a gauntlet of a schedule. If Uruguay’s energetic midfield – highlighted by Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Manuel Ugarte – can keep up the intensity throughout the tournament then they have as good a shot as any team to bring home the bacon…err…picanha. 🇺🇾 

Neymar’s absence from the tournament with a torn ACL is a huge blow. He was Brazil’s best player in their Copa América final loss to Argentina in 2021, and is the Seleção’s heartbeat in addition to being their primary creative threat. That said, Brazil have no shortage of attacking options, with Vini Jr., Rodrygo, Gabriel Martinelli, Raphinha, and Endrick all capable of winning the tournament’s Golden Boot. Dorival Júnior’s squad might lack the balance of Argentina or the midfield depth of Uruguay, but Brazil are still among the favorites with perhaps the best player in the world at their disposal in Vini Jr. 🇧🇷 

Was this ever going to be anyone else? Argentina are not only reigning world champions, but won the 2021 Copa América as well. Manager Lionel Scaloni is doing a great job at balancing young talent with experienced players, and Lionel Messi – despite being 35 and playing outside of Europe for a year now – is still among the best players on the planet. In a Group A that features Canada, Chile, and Peru, this is Argentina’s tournament to lose. 🇦🇷