The South American continental national team tournament is not far behind the Euro in terms of popularity, because quite strong national teams participate in it. With its expansion to 16 participants and the inclusion of the strongest teams of North America in the draw, the competition for the trophy did not fundamentally increase, but the probability of sensations with the early departure of one of the main contenders increased.
If you support your favorite team and want to place a bet on it, visit jogo Mostbet, and in the meantime we will consider who the bookmakers see as the main contenders for the next title.
Argentina – 2.75
Argentinians are always present in the list of the most likely winners of the Copa America. Statistically, it is the Albiceleste who perform best here – they have 15 titles, like their neighbors from Uruguay, but Argentina has participated in fewer trophy draws. After all, this is the current winner of the continental championship, which more than once in its history successfully performed the task of protecting its status.
In addition to everything else, the team of two Lionels (Scaloni and Messi) is also a three-time (and most importantly – current!) world champion, leads the FIFA rating and the tournament table of the South American selection for the next World Cup. Being in such a status, it is no longer very important who your nearest opponents will be, especially since in the group stage there is simply no one to create serious opposition for the favorite. Only the name remained from Chile, the other two are even weaker.
Why then, in principle, are we considering Argentina’s competitors? Because Brazil has not gone anywhere, and because there will always be room for a sensation. After all, the Argentinians have won 9 times in the last 10 games, but in November 2023 they suffered the shame of a home defeat against Uruguay, who behind the net may not go to their neighbors until the decisive match of the Copa America 2024.
Brazil – 3.25
There are still more questions than answers regarding the current state of the Seleção. On the one hand, this is another undisputed giant of not only South American, but also world football, Argentina’s fierce enemy, which has repeatedly defeated it. However, right now the traditionally star team is in a half-dismantled state – it played for a year without a permanent head coach, and the current mentor, who is already permanent – Dorival Junior – has almost no experience at this level, so his real capabilities are not yet known.
Now we have a paradoxical situation: the fifth team in the world, if we believe the FIFA rating, in the South American selection for the 2026 World Cup is in a very low sixth position, risking embarrassment. By the way, being the world record holder for the number of planetary championships won, the pentacampeons for some reason won only 9 America’s Cups – while Argentina and Uruguay have as many as 15 such successes. It was Brazil that hosted the two previous draws: last time they lost to Argentina in the final, and in 2019 they triumphed (so far) in the last one.
The quartet of Brazilians included Colombia – as strong as coffee from this country, but the other members of the group are much weaker. No matter how the arrival of Dorival Junior affects the Seleção, the pentacampeons must in any case reach the quarterfinals, and we will see.
Uruguay – 6.0
Uruguay is one of the world’s most striking examples of how a country with a small population can be a formidable force in football, not just in one generation, but permanently. With three and a half million inhabitants, the small but very proud nation twice became the world champion and three more times – the fourth at the World Cup, including in 2010. In terms of the number of Copa Américas won, the Uruguayans share the first place with Argentina, having 15 titles, and until the last draw they were leading by this indicator.
True, there have been no trophies since 2011, and at the previous America’s Cup, Uruguay was eliminated in the quarterfinals, reaching the penalty shootout and losing to the Colombians. Whether it can be considered a decline if the team continues to hold a rather high 11th place in the FIFA rating and is second in the continental selection for the World Cup is an open question. A quartet of opponents at the level of the USA, Bolivia and Panama virtually guarantees that the Uruguayans will be able to repeat the achievements of the previous draw. In autumn, this national team defeated both Argentina and Brazil with an equally convincing score of 2:0 – that is, it is quite a possible contender for the title after a long break.
Colombia – 12.0
Colombia is historically one of the strongest nations in South America, especially if you don’t compare it to the top three described above. However, during the total hegemony of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil (a total of 39 titles), the Colombians won the continental trophy only once – in 2001, and in 1975 they won silver medals. But very recently, at the previous draw, they took bronze, which happened to them for the fifth time already.
At the World Cup, the Colombians reached the quarterfinals only once (in 2014), and did not make it to Qatar at all. However, right now Colombia looks very powerful, it is not for nothing that they are third in the continental selection for the World Cup and fourteenth in the FIFA rating. At the very least, the Cavs should get out of the group together with the Brazilians – maybe even in first place.
Mexico – 12.0
If the expansion of the America’s Cup at the expense of the best CONCACAF teams was supposed to strengthen the competitive struggle for the title, it was primarily due to the efforts of the Mexicans. This will be the eleventh appearance of the Aztecs in the tournament, while they did not make it to the previous two draws. Mexico’s motivation in 2024 is obvious: out of ten attempts, they took silver twice, and bronze three more times, but the trophy has not yet yielded to them.
The fifteenth team in the FIFA rating twice (but a long time ago) reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and the trophies in North America are not even counted – there is almost no decent opposition there. Strong Venezuela and especially Ecuador can create competition already in the group, but Mexico will fight for the honor of the entire CONCACAF.
