South America boasts some of the biggest stars in world football and they are set to collide on the international stage this summer.
The 46th edition of the Copa America will take place this year in Rio de Janeito as South America’s best teams fight it out for the continental crown.
Heavyweights of world football such as Argentina and Brazil will lock horns, as well as the tournament’s most successful team, Uruguay.
With some of the best players in the world on display, including Neymar and potentially Lionel Messi, it boasts a unique allure, with the continent’s Joga Bonito philosophy strongly imbued.
When is Copa America 2019?
The 2019 Copa America is set to get under way on June 14th and it will run for three weeks until the final on July 7th.
Group games will finish on June 24th and there will be a three-day break before knockout fixtures are played from June 27th.
Who is Playing?
There are 10 CONMEBOL representatives and two extra teams from the AFC, Qatar and Japan, who accepted invitations to take part.
It is the first Copa America not to feature any CON-CACAF representatives since teams were first invited.
The South American teams are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Equador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguai, and Venezuela.
The Host Country
Brazil will host the 2019 edition of the tournament and it will be their first time staging it since 1989.
It will be the fifth time the Copa America is being held in Brazil, with the country previously hosting in 1919, 1922 and 1949, as well as 1989.
Games will take place in six stadiums across five cities: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Salvador.
The opening match will be played at Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo and the final will take place at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.
Watch & Live Stream
In the US, the tournament will be broadcast in both Spanish and English, with Telemundo clinching the Spanish rights. beIN Sports will offer coverage in English.
Who Won the Last Copa America?
Chile are the defending champions after winning the 2016 Copa America Centenario in the United States.
La Roja, then managed by Juan Antonio Pizzi, defeated Argentina on penalties in the final. It was Chile’s second consecutive title win following their maiden triumph in 2015.
After the sides could not be separated in regulation or extra time, the game went to penalties and Chile triumphed 4-2 in the shootout, with Francisco Silva scoring the winning spot kick.
Lionel Messi, who failed to convert his spot kick, famously retired in the aftermath. It was his third consecutive defeat in the final of a major tournament – having lost in the previous year’s Copa and the 2014 World Cup against Germany – and his fourth overall with Argentina.
“This is tough and a difficult time,” Messi said after the loss. “The first thing that comes to my mind and that I have thought is that the end has come for me and our team (Argentina).”
The Barcelona star eventually reversed his decision and subsequently competed in the 2018 World Cup, but again, without success.