Everybody has been thoroughly entertained with the Euros this month, especially because of its competitive games, passionate fans, and underdog stories.

But make no mistake, it’s not the only major tournament taking place this summer. The Copa América starts tonight and this year, it features 16 best teams across the Americas.

Let’s take a look at teams taking part in this tournament.

Potential winners: 

There is no fancy introduction needed for Argentina. The defending Copa América and world champions are coming into this tournament as favorites.

Lionel Messi is 36, and this could be his last tournament with his country. So that could be the extra motivation for the Argentina squad that has won it all in last three years.

Few months ago, there were fears that Lionel Scaloni could be walking away, and they lost 2-0 at home to Uruguay. But since then, they are undefeated in last five games—outscoring opponents 12 to two. The wins also include a historic away win in Brazil in a World Cup qualifier.

Argentina will most likely reach the final. And we’ve seen how good this squad can be in finals.

On the other hand, Uruguay seem to be on a different level since Marcelo Bielsa took over.

They are coming into this tournament with just one loss in last seven games— which includes wins over Brazil and Argentina. They outscored opponents 14 to four.

The center-back paring of José María Giménez and Ronald Araújo could be the best in the whole tournament. The midfield of Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Federico Valverde is top class. Then they have in-form Darwin Núñez up top with Luis Suárez off the bench.

Colombia are another team in hot form. The recent 5-1 demolition of the USMNT is a warning sign to everyone, and they have been giving warning signs for a while.

In the World Cup qualifiers, they beat Brazil and drew with Uruguay. They are also on a 23-game unbeaten streak— which also includes wins against Spain, Germany, Romania, and Japan.

Néstor Lorenzo is doing a fantastic job over there and Luis Díaz will be dangerous to any backline. They are in a good position to win their first trophy since 2001, and 10 years after his amazing 2014 World Cup, James Rodríguez will look to lead his country to glory.

Last but not least, Brazil will always be Brazil, even if they are not in top form.

After a disastrous 2023, Dorival Júnior came in and earned a win in Wembley against England and drew against Spain in Santiago Bernabéu. However, the last two games against the USMNT and Mexico didn’t exactly impress any fans watching.

With still a talented squad led by Vinícius Júnior, you can never underestimate Brazil no matter how they are playing before a tournament.

Potential losers:

CONCACAF’s participation in this tournament could show the progress their teams have made, but it could also highlight the gap between them and top CONMEBOL teams. 

So far, the performances of top CONCACAF teams like the USMNT, Mexico, and Canada are iffy at best. All three have suffered some big losses recently, although they all sort of redeemed themselves in their last friendly games.

Gregg Berhalter has been criticized more than ever, and the USMNT’s performances haven’t exactly been impressive since his return. The 5-1 humiliation to Colombia was the first time since the 2009 Gold Cup that they gave up five goals in a game. And that 2009 Gold Cup was a B team because the A team played in the Confederations Cup that summer.

They did get a draw against Brazil, although Matt Turner had to make 11 saves against a Brazilian side also under strong criticism. 

On the other hand, Jimmy Lozano has also been under massive pressure by fans, and the 4-0 loss to Uruguay didn’t exactly help his case.

They are in a tough group against Venezuela, Ecuador, and Jamaica, and even with tens of thousands of Mexican fans in the stadiums, don’t be surprised if they fail to get out of the group.

American coach Jesse Marsch has just been appointed to lead Canada. He had only a couple days to work with the players before playing the Netherlands and France in friendlies. The first game saw them lose 4-0 but the second game was an impressive 0-0 draw.

With just a couple of weeks to prepare, let’s see if Marsch can get the Canadians to play his brand of football. They do have the talent to get out of the group, but they will have to have some amazing performances to pull it off.

Under the radar players:

There will be some amazing young talent present in the Copa América. The player that can impress people quickly is the 19-year-old Valentín Carboni, who only made his Argentina debut in March, and has just two caps. 

However, he’s done well during those limited appearances and could be a key player for Argentina this summer.

A left-footed attacking midfielder, Carboni is comfortable playing anywhere up top. He is currently owned by Inter Milan and played on loan at Monza this past season.

Ecuador have been blessed with a new wave of young talent. One that has gone under the radar is Jeremy Sarmiento, who is owned by Brighton and just helped Ipswich get promoted to the Premier League.

A pacy winger who can be very direct and take on defenders one v one, he will be a very exciting player to watch in this Ecuadorian squad that will be playing an aggressive style of football.

Sarmiento just turned 22 few days ago. He has a very bright future.

The last player that is under most people’s radar is Facundo Pellistri from Uruguay.

The 22-year-old is owned by Manchester United but hasn’t been given a proper chance there. He’s been loaned out to different Spanish sides instead.

This tournament can provide a platform for Pellistri to show that he does have the talent to play for bigger sides, instead of La Liga teams who are fighting for relegation. He is also a winger who can dribble well, and has good vision to pick out a pass.

The Euros obviously has more teams and has so far produced some fantastic games, but don’t ignore the quality as well in the Copa América. The next few weeks are going to be amazing for anyone that loves this sport.