The Copa America continues to be a carnival of football and flair in the Americas, and Group A certainly looks to be very intriguing. It boats the current holders Argentina, as well as Peru and Chile, alongside Copa America debutants Canada.
Contents
Copa America Group A fixtures
Argentina v Canada
📍 Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, GA
Friday 21st June
🕖 01:00
🇦🇷 3/8 (1.38)
21/5 (5.20)
🇨🇦 17/2 (9.50)
Peru v Chile
📍 AT&T Stadium - Arlington, TX
Saturday 22nd June
🕖 01:00
🇵🇪 16/5 (4.2)
9/4 (3.25)
🇨🇱 21/20 (2.05)
Peru v Canada
📍 Children's Mercy Park - Kansas City, KS
Tuesday 25th June
🕖 23:00
🇵🇪 8/5 (2.60)
9/4 (3.25)
🇨🇦 39/19 (3.05)
Chile v Argentina
📍 MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ
Wednesday 26th June
🕖 02:00
🇨🇱 15/4 (4.75)
5/2 (3.50)
🇦🇷 5/6 (1.83)
Argentina v Peru
📍 Hard Rock Stadium - Miami Gardens, FL
Sunday 30th June
🕖 01:00
🇦🇷 TBC
TBC
🇵🇪 TBC
Canada v Chile
📍 Inter&Co Stadium - Orlando, FL
Sunday 30th June
🕖 01:00
🇨🇦 TBC
TBC
🇨🇱 TBC
Copa America Group A predictions
Group winners: Argentina
It's obvious why Argentina are ours and many other people's favourites to top this group and even go all the way. They're the number one ranked side by FIFA after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and they boast one of the best players of all time, Lionel Messi.
Argentina are expected to have a deep run in the tournament given their star-quality players such as Messi, Angel Di Maria, Julian Alvarez and Emiliano Martinez. It will take a big effort for any side to stop them this summer in the USA.
This could well be Messi's final international tournament with La Albiceleste, so he will be keen to lift yet another major honour in what's been a glorious career, but they'll need a good start against newcomers Canada when they kick things off on June 21st.
Runners up: Chile
Chile are two-time Copa America winners, having hoisted the trophy back in 2015 and 2016, but they have not been able to reach another final since then. The Chileans wouldn't have been too pleased to see the group they were allocated, with some huge tasks facing them this summer.
La Roja are the third-highest ranked side according to FIFA in this group behind Argentina and Peru, but we see them coming out as runner-sup due to their vast experience and talented squad of players.
The two-time winners boast players from all over South America and in some of Europe's top leagues Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and Ben Brereton Diaz.
Third Place (eliminated): Canada
Canada are participating in their first Copa America and will be led into the tournament by former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch. The Canadian side is experiencing a sort of golden generation with players such as Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies and Stephen Eustaquio.
Marsch's men are the lowest-ranked side in Group A but are coming off the back of a 0-0 draw away to Euro 2024 hopefuls France, so that will instil a lot of confidence into a side who'd been on a poor run of form.
To finish bottom: Peru
Peru have won Copa America on two occasions, 1939 and 1975 but since then, they have only ever reached the final of this prestigious tournament once. That was quite recently, however, when they faced Brazil in 2019 but were defeated 3-1, despite being level on the stroke of half time.
La Blanquirroja are ranked 32nd in the world which puts them inside the top six of all South American nations but they have struggled in the past when it matters against the bigger nations such as Brazil, Argentina and Chile, two of whom are in Group A.
Group A winners – Potential quarter-final opponents
If everything goes to plan and the favoured teams win out, then Argentina will top Group A with relative ease, but this is where the tournament will really kick into gear and start to become serious. One mistake or slip-up in the knockouts could see a favoured nation head home early, leaving the door open for a miracle to happen and a smaller country to take the glory home.
We're fully expecting Argentina to top their group and if that happens, they will play the runners-up from Group B, which could be one of Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela or Jamaica. Mexico will be the favourites to win Group B and thus, we can see Ecuador taking the runners up spot and having to face Argentina.
Argentina and Ecuador have met 40 times throughout history but as expected, it's been dominated by La Albiceleste, who've won 24 of the matches. So, Ecuador will be doing all they can to top Group B and avoid a potentially hellish match-up against the World Cup champions.
Out of the 16 H2H clashes at the Copa America, Ecuador have won zero and only drawn four of them, so it would be in their best interests to finish first. That would hand Mexico this dreaded tie, who are also winless against Argentina since the 2004 staging of Copa America.
