The Copa America, the marquee tournament for football in the Americas organized by the CONMEBOL, is all set to take place in the United States of America from June 20. A total of 16 teams will take part in this campaign, with 10 coming from CONMEBOL and 6 from the CONCACAF. There will be four groups of four teams each with the top two from each group then moving to the quarter-final stage. The final of the tournament will be played in Florida on the 14th of July. Argentina, the current world champions, are also the title holders and it will take a special effort to stop their juggernaut. A look at the top five teams to watch out for in this main event. Lionel Messi to Lead Defending Champions as Argentina Announces Provisional Squad for Copa America 2024, Paulo Dybala Out.

Argentina - Argentina defeated Brazil in the final of the last edition and in a way it marked the start of their dominance in world football. With players like Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria at the heart of their team play, it will not be a surprise if they can secure another title.

Brazil – Brazil have struggled in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, as they languish at 6th in the points table and are on a three-game losing streak there. They did manage to draw with Spain and defeat England in recent friendlies but clearly all is not well in the Brazil camp. Dorival Junior is their new head coach and he has a big job ahead of him to get them back to the best.

Uruguay – Led by the mercurial Federico Valverde and coached by master tactician Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay has what it takes to perform on the big stage. They will need to keep their heads strong and work on their defence, led by Ronald Araujo. Neymar out of Brazil Squad for CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 Due to Serious Knee Injury.

United States of America – The host nation needs a moment of glory at the big stage after dominating their region in football.  Christian Pulisic is their main player in attack and playing for top clubs like Chelsea and AC Milan has given him the right experience. Youngsters like Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie can play a key role here.

Colombia – This team has always produced superstars despite not being in the top rung of international football. Players like James Rodriguez, David Ospina, and Luis Diaz can help beat anyone on their day. The legendry Falcao though has been left out of the Copa America squad.

The Copa America should be a fascinating tournament with goal galore and plenty of moments to relish with Argentina likely to retain their title.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2024 04:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).