Copa America 2024

Copa America is coming to the USA this summer and, while that may not immediately mean a lot to our UK visitors, we’re here to tell you this is a pretty big deal, with exciting implications for Florida.

So much so, in fact, you may want to start making plans to catch what is likely to be a genuine summer soccer fiesta from June 20 to July 14.

Regular visitors to our favourite part of the Sunshine State will probably already know that Central Florida has a big football following, thanks largely to the creation of our own Major League team, Orlando City (the Lions), and the women’s team, the Orlando Pride.

In fact, its reputation has served to bring other soccer events here in the past, and, for 2024, we will now have games of the forthcoming Copa America in The City Beautiful, with Orlando hosting two while Miami plays host to three – including the final in July.

What is Copa America?

In sporting terms, Copa America is the South American equivalent of Euro 2024, which England will be bidding to win in Germany this summer.

It is the oldest continental football championship in the world, dating back to 1916, and this year’s event will be the 48th tournament of its kind. But, in a move away from tradition, the 2024 edition will be held in the US and feature six teams from the CONCACAF region (North and Central America and the Caribbean).

That will see a record-equalling 16 teams competing for this year’s Copa honour, spread across 14 different venues in the US. All 10 regular South American teams will take part, as well as the USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Panama and two other CONCACAF teams from two play-off games in March.

It promises to be a cracking tournament, featuring the likes of Lionel Messi, Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo and Vinicius Jr from Barcelona.

The group stage runs through July 2, with the quarterfinals July 4-6. The semifinals are July 9-10 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The third-place match is on July 13 in Charlotte, and the final will be at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 14.

World Cup champs Argentina are also the Copa holders, having beaten Brazil in the 2021 final, and they will be favourites to repeat as winners once things get under way, although Uruguay are right on their heels in current World Cup qualifying, having beaten Messi and Co last time out in November.

What makes this Copa edition special?

As well as the unusual staging of the tournament in a non-South American country (which has only happened once before, in 2016), the expanded field of 16 teams promises to make this more like a mini–World Cup than just a typical Copa event.

Bringing the event to America also adds to the marketing profile at a time when soccer is fast gaining more and more fans in the land of Uncle Sam, and you can be sure, with so many Premier League stars involved, it will be heavily covered in the UK, too.

There is also the possibility this could be football legend Messi’s last major international tournament, and he will be keen to go out on a high with a third successive title with Argentina.

In addition, Copa America will serve as something of a warm-up to the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the US, Mexico and Canada, making sure soccer’s profile is sky high come FIFA’s showpiece tournament in two years’ time.

What games will we see in Florida?

It goes without saying that Orlando City’s home will be a popular host among the 14 stadiums, as it typically offers one of the best atmospheres in Major League Soccer. Recently renamed as Inter&Co Stadium*, it holds only 25,500, but is renowned for being a LOUD venue, and games are likely to be a sellout.

Orlando’s first game will be the clash on June 29 between Chile and one of the two as-yet-undecided teams from the CONCACAF playoffs, while July 1 will see the deciding game in Group C between Bolivia and Panama, who will likely be bidding for a place in the knockout phase.

Down in Miami, the impressive Hard Rock Stadium will play host to one of the opening round of games between Uruguay and Panama (June 23) in Group C, which also includes the USA, and then Argentina and Peru in Group A (June 29).

The final game of the tournament will then take place in Miami on July 14, and if you think that potentially sets the scene for Messi to strut his stuff in the city he now calls home (after his high-profile move to Inter Miami last year), you might not be far off beam!

It all adds up to a 24-day sporting extravaganza that is sure to make a lot of headlines before it is all over, and absolutely cements Florida as a leading destination for football fandom for at least the next few years.

Support Orlando City, too

For general soccer fans, the good news is that the new MLS season is due to kick off this month, with Orlando City at home to Montreal in their first game, on February 24. They also have a home game in the CONCACAF version of the Champions League on February 27 against Canadian team Cavalry.

The full MLS season runs until October 19, and then the knockout play-offs take over, with the grand Final on December 7. Hopefully, the Lions can build on last season’s success of finishing second in the league standings and reaching the last eight of the play-offs.

• Hands up who knew that new Orlando City stadium sponsor Inter&Co is actually a highly successful financial app? No, us neither.

Are you interested in this summer soccer fiesta? Tell us your thoughts on on Facebook, X and Instagram pages… and don’t forget to interact with us on Pinterest and now TikTok too!