Yahoo Sports Copa America 2024 Group A: Schedule & Preview – America, Chile, Peru & Canada
Copa America 2024 Group A features world champions Argentina, perennial strugglers Chile and Peru and debutants Canada.
Let’s take a quick look at the dates and times these four teams will play each other, their chances of advancing to the knockout stage and details about all Copa America 2024 squads.
Copa America 2024 Group A Fixtures & Schedule
Friday, June 21 (01:00) – Argentina vs Canada
Saturday, June 22 (01:00) – Peru vs Chile
Tuesday, June 25 (23:00) – Peru vs Canada
Wednesday, June 26 (02:00) – Chile vs Argentina
Sunday, June 30 (01:00) – Argentina vs Peru
Sunday, June 30 (01:00) – Canada vs Chile
Copa America 2024 Group A: Teams & Preview
Expectations are at an all-time high for Argentina ahead of Lionel Messi’s probably last major tournament as the country’s captain.
La Pulga fulfilled his destiny in Qatar, finally wrapping his hands around the most coveted international title to cement his place in the Pantheon of greatest players of all time.
As the moment approaches for the Inter Miami superstar to call time on his trophy-laden career, the nation holds its breath, eager to see if he can lead Argentina to one more continental triumph.
Canada, Chile and Peru will likely fight for the one remaining qualification spot since it’s hard to expect them to throw a spanner in Argentina’s bid to defend the crown.
Argentina – Enjoy Messi while he lasts
Manager: Lionel Scaloni
Star Playe: Lionel Messi
The picture of Messi and the Jules Rimet trophy after Argentina squeaked past France in a pulsating 2022 World Cup final was a sight to behold.
One of the best to ever grace the game left the Middle East desert with his crowning achievement that confirmed his ‘greatest of all time’ status.
A year earlier, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner held a legendary dressing-room speech at the famous Maracana as Argentina bested arch-rivals Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final.
It was Messi’s first piece of silverware with La Albiceleste and Argentina’s record-extending 15th continental success, albeit the first since 1993.
Heavily fancied to follow in the steps of Brazil and Chile – the only nations to defend the title in the 21st century – Lionel Scaloni’s side enters the tournament as the world’s superpower.
Uruguay ended Argentina’s unprecedented 36-game unbeaten streak in the 2026 World Cup qualifying in November 2023, but it proved only a one-off.
Scaloni’s team bounced back with a morale-boosting 1-0 win against Brazil before posting back-to-back multi-goal margin wins at the start of 2024 to set themselves up nicely for the upcoming showpiece.
Canada – North Americans travel south at long last
Manager: Jesse Marsch
Star Player: Jonathan David
The stage seemed set for Canada to register their maiden Copa America appearance in 2001, only for the Canucks to withdraw at the 11th hour.
Little did they know they would have to wait over two decades for a chance to make their debut on South America’s grandest football stage.
Canada failed to qualify for the tournament in 2016 and were ineligible to play in the last two editions, but they’ve finally made it here.
After losing all three games at the 2022 World Cup and suffering a quarter-final exit at the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Canucks opted for drastic changes.
It was a signal for the football federation to poach a world-class coach.
Jesse Marsch, the first American to take charge of Canada, first reported for duty in May 2024, being handed a tight timeframe to prepare the team for the tournament.
Canada went to great lengths to hire the ex-Leeds United manager, requiring donations from Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps to handle his wages.
Let’s see if he can repay the trust.
Chile – Messi’s nightmare bidding to reignite old flames
Manager: Ricardo Gareca
Star Player: Alexis Sanchez
Chile had never hoisted the Copa America title before 2015.
But after defeating Messi’s Argentina on penalties on their home turf of Santiago, they poured more misery on La Pulga by replicating the same feat the following year.
In doing so, La Roja became the fourth South American country to win back-to-back titles, even making the ex-Barcelona stalwart question his international career.
However, Chilean football has since been in freefall.
In addition to finishing as high as fourth across the last two Copa America editions, they’ve missed out on two consecutive World Cups.
Their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 tournament in North America are in doubt.
Ricardo Gareca, the 66-year-old manager of Argentine origins, faces an uphill task of restoring Chile to their former glory.
He will rely on seasoned stars Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas to navigate the dressing room through these tumultuous times.
Despite Sheffield United’s humiliating Premier League campaign, Ben Brereton Diaz could extend his senior teammates a much-needed helping hand amid his impressive form in 2024.
The 25-year-old moved to Bramall Lane in January and went on to haul six goals and one assist in 14 league appearances for the Premier League basement boys.
Peru – Inaugural winners seeking a miracle at long odds
Manager: Jorge Fossati
Star Player: Paolo Guerrero
Peru won the first edition of the most prestigious CONMEBOL tournament since it was rebranded to Copa America in 1975, overcoming Colombia in the grand final.
It was pretty much it for La Rojiblanca. The two-time South American champions have since reached the final once, with Brazil beating them 1-0 in 2019.
Current Chile manager Gareca had led them to back-to-back Copa America semi-finals before a failed attempt to qualify for the Qatar World Cup spelt the end of his tenure.
The experienced 71-year-old coach, Jorge Fossati, has plenty on his plate amid Peru’s woeful start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Four defeats from six qualifiers and only one goal scored can’t begin to tell the depth of Peru’s problems.
It’s enough to say they still rely on the 40-year-old Paolo Guerrero to shoulder the scoring burden.
The future doesn’t look bright for the Peruvians.
