It won’t be the football that most people remember from the 2024 Copa America. What was supposedly a preview of the 2026 World Cup to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada displayed a lot of the ugly side of the game, on and off the field. Poor pitches laid over artificial surfaces of insufficient size in ill-suited NFL stadiums, games played in conditions so hot that one assistant referee collapsed and had to be removed, inept referees, poor security, and brutal play on the field best describes this tournament.
Nowhere did all the faults become more apparent than at the final in Miami. The Hard Rock Stadium is scheduled to host seven games in 2026. Based on how the final played out, FIFA has a lot of work to do. CONMEBOL, the South American federation, organized this Copa America and came out looking greedy, foolish and incompetent. They failed to set up a security perimeter around the stadium, so thousands of ticketless fans were able not only to approach the stadium, but also to climb in unchecked by stadium staff. Officials briefly suspended entry to the stadium, but had to resume and let everyone in to avoid a crush in the heat and humidity of a summer night in south Florida.
Even with that, the issues didn’t stop. People who actually had tickets had difficulty entering the stadium as many as five hours after the initial rush at 5pm. CONMEBOL actually delayed the kick-off one hour and twenty minutes, to well past 9pm on Sunday night, due to the issues. There was also the disconcerting sight of players trying to reach their families during the warmups. This came just a few days after Uruguay’s players and staff raced into the Bank of America Stadium seats in Charlotte to protect their families from Colombian supporters in a pitched battle with security and police standing idly by, not knowing what to do.
Combining the poor organization with exorbitant ticket prices in a blatant cash grab will leave a sour taste in the mouths of many people. It is fair to ask if the USA will be ready to host the World Cup in two years’ time. However, FIFA organizes World Cups differently from the Copa America. FIFA sets up multiple security checkpoints around venues and will take over control of the stadiums in advance of the tournament. They will be taking steps to ensure that pitches have proper surfaces and are of appropriate size ahead of the games. Laying sod over artificial surfaces two days before a game, as happened in Atlanta before the Copa America, is unlikely to happen in 2026. Perhaps FIFA will also have more affordable tickets.
On the field, Argentina did score a lovely goal late in extra time to win their second Copa America in a row. Lautaro Martinez finished off a quick move that started with a terrific tackle to win the ball in midfield. Those two victories came wrapped around the 2022 World Cup title, equaling a standard set by Spain from 2008 to 2012 when La Roja won three major titles in a row. After a stylish Spain team just won the European Championship on Sunday, their young talent could be in line to repeat the feat. Spain and Argentina now start as the two favorites for 2026.
Lionel Messi, the poster boy for the Copa America, didn’t contribute much to the game before leaving with an injury during the second half. He didn’t look particularly mobile during the Copa America and Argentina became more dynamic after he left the game. With Julian Alvarez and match-winner Lautaro Martinez, they have two top notch forwards who can change a game. Argentina also has Emiliano Martinez, a world class goalkeeper who can win games. With a host of players ready to step in, the Messi generation that includes Angel DiMaria and Nicolas Otamendi can step aside knowing the national team will continue to be a world power.
As for the United States, the Copa America will be remembered as a total failure. They became the first host team ever eliminated at the group phase. Tim Weah’s foolish red card against Panama doomed them, but the performances overall simply weren’t good enough. They only beat a terrible Bolivia team 2-0 and battled a very physical, some might say dirty, Uruguay team to a 1-0 loss. US Soccer sacked Gregg Berhalter and will now have to find a new coach who can take the national team forward. There are a number of top notch candidates available. One of them, former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, has politely declined already.
Mexico fared little better than the USA. The second home team for the Copa America exited at the group stage after a feeble effort against Jamaica, Ecuador, and Venezuela. While the FMF has not announced that Jimmy Lozano has been fired, it’s only a matter of time before they make a change, too. Lozano tried to turn the team over to a younger generation of players, but the new generation is not as talented as their predecessors, so it could be a difficult time for Mexico.
