The moment is almost here to crown the champion of the CONMEBOL Copa América United States 2024! Argentina and Colombia will battle for the title in the Grand Final this Monday, July 15, at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, concluding the 48th edition of the world’s oldest national team tournament in grand style.
Thousands of fans will be present for the historic clash between La Albiceleste and Los Cafeteros, with millions more tuning in worldwide. With stars like Lionel Messi, James Rodríguez, Ángel Di María, and Luis Díaz, the match promises to be spectacular. Additionally, pop star Shakira will light up halftime with a show full of rhythm and dance.
In what could be Lionel Messi’s farewell appearance for Argentina, will he secure a third international trophy in three years? We preview and predict Monday’s Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia.
Who won Copa America 2020?
Argentina
Read More: Can James Rodríguez Lead Colombia to Copa América Glory Once Again?
Argentina vs Colombia: Match Preview
The stage is set for what could be Lionel Messi’s final major tournament as Argentina faces Colombia in Sunday’s Copa America final, held in the forward’s new home of Miami.
At the Hard Rock Stadium, Messi and La Albiceleste aim for a record-breaking 16th Copa America title, currently tied with Uruguay at 15. This would also be their second consecutive title after defeating old rivals Brazil in the 2021 final.
Defending champions Argentina arrive in Florida boasting the best defense in the competition, having conceded just one goal in the quarterfinals against Ecuador. During that penalty shootout, Emiliano Martínez delivered another stellar performance, contributing significantly to their impressive defensive record. Martínez is no stranger to being a key player in crucial moments, having had a memorable match in the 2021 Final against Brazil at Maracanã.
He will be joined on the field by several teammates from that final, including Lionel Messi, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo De Paul, and others from this winning generation. Additionally, the legendary Ángel Di María hopes to end his Argentina career on a high note with another international title.
A victory would make La Albiceleste the most successful team in the tournament’s history, with 16 titles.
However, they face a formidable challenge from Colombia, arguably the most impressive team in the tournament.
Colombia, unbeaten in 28 games—a new national record—and led by a revitalized James Rodríguez, the frontrunner for Player of the Tournament honors, overcame a heavily favored Uruguay side with 10 men in the semifinals, promising a tough contest.
On the other side, Colombia’s brilliant team aims to make history by winning the championship in the United States, replicating their 2001 triumph on home soil. Their success is largely due to coach Néstor Lorenzo, who has guided the team to the longest undefeated streak in their history (28 matches). Five of those games (4 wins, 1 draw) have occurred in this CONMEBOL Copa America, and Colombia is certainly prepared to extend that streak to six with a victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
A win would also be a fitting reward for James Rodríguez, who holds the record for most assists in a single edition and might be playing in one of his last appearances in the oldest national team tournament.
Other key figures in this title-decider include Lionel Scaloni, who led Argentina to the 2021 title and their third World Cup in 2022; Luis Díaz, a forward set to lead Colombia into the next era; Lautaro Martínez, the top scorer and a favorite for the Golden Boot in the United States; and Richard Rios, known for his vibrant play and talent. These elements promise to make the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 final a thrilling event.
Argentina, were always a favourite heading into the Copa America victory by the all the experts and people alike, as they defeated first-time semi-finalists Canada 2-0 to reach Monday’s final, with captain Messi and Julián Álvarez scoring.
Monday could mark the end of an era, as Messi is reportedly considering international retirement after the match.
While many in the United States are eager to see Messi continue his illustrious Argentina career until the 2026 World Cup, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner mentioned this week that he is fighting his “last battles” on the international stage.
Having led Argentina to victory in the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup, Messi could conclude his international career on a high note by inspiring his country to three consecutive major tournament wins, a feat previously accomplished by securing three straight Copa America titles in 1945, 1946, and 1947, with no World Cup held during that period.
It took some time, but Messi finally found the net in this year’s Copa America, scoring in the 2-0 semi-final victory over Canada on Wednesday, converting his 12th shot of the tournament.
Messi has now scored in six different editions of the Copa America, tying the record set by Zizinho back in 1957. Messi found the net in the 2007, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024 editions, only missing the scoresheet in 2011.
His semi-final goal came 17 years and one day after his first Copa America goal against Peru in 2007. This gap is the longest between goals for a single player in the tournament’s history, surpassing Zizinho’s previous record of 15 years and 52 days between 1942 and 1957.
Winning another trophy on Monday would allow Messi to conclude his previously disappointing Argentina career with a perfect run of three tournament victories, but Colombia stands in the way.
Nestor Lorenzo’s team has been hailed as the standout team of the tournament. They topped Group D ahead of Brazil and then defeated Uruguay 1-0 in the semi-finals.
Jefferson Lerma’s header was decisive in Colombia’s victory, as they held on despite playing the second half with 10 men after Daniel Muñoz was sent off for two bookable offenses.
Lerma’s goal marked Colombia’s fifth header of the tournament, the most by a team in a single Copa America since Argentina scored six headers in 1991, when they won the trophy.
Colombia’s aerial prowess has been a key factor in their success, complementing their efficient attack. They have scored a tournament-high 12 goals from 8.49 expected goals (xG), second only to Argentina’s 11.1 xG. Despite ranking just sixth for touches in the penalty area (104), they are third for shots from inside the box (59).
Defensively, Colombia has been solid, conceding only twice. They have averaged a tournament-low 0.51 expected goals against (xGA), faced 9.6 shots per game (the third-best figure), and faced 2.2 shots on target per game (second-best).
This strong backline has allowed skipper James Rodríguez and Liverpool’s Luis Díaz to shine. Rodríguez ranks third for expected assists (xA) among all players in the tournament (1.67 per game), and Díaz ranks fourth (1.37 per game).
Rodríguez’s six assists at the 2024 Copa America are the highest recorded by a player in a single edition since Opta began data collection in 2011, surpassing Messi’s five assists from the 2021 tournament.
He also leads the tournament in chances created with 17, 12 of which have come from set-pieces. With Colombia scoring five of their 12 goals—a national record for a single Copa America—from corners or indirect free-kicks, Argentina would be wise to avoid conceding dead balls.
Rodríguez isn’t the only former Real Madrid player looking to make an impact, as Ángel Di María hopes to conclude his Argentina career on a high note. Although Lionel Scaloni hopes to convince him to reconsider his decision to retire from international football after the tournament.
Di María scored in the 2021 final against Brazil and in the 2022 World Cup final against France. In this tournament, only Rodríguez (17), Nicolás de la Cruz (14), and Messi (13) have created more chances than Di María’s nine.
Argentina vs Colombia: Head-to-Head
Colombia have won only one of their last 12 meetings with Argentina (five draws, six defeats) – a 2-0 group-stage victory at the 2019 Copa America.
The last draw between the teams ended with Colombia losing on penalties in the 2021 Copa semi-finals, as Davinson Sánchez, Yerry Mina, and Edwin Cardona all missed from the spot.
In their 15 previous Copa America encounters, Argentina has won seven times, Colombia three, with five matches ending in draws.
While Colombia is competing in their third Copa America final, having previously won in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 1975, Argentina is in their sixth final in the last eight major tournaments. The two exceptions – the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Copa – saw Argentina lose to the eventual champions, France and Brazil.
Argentina vs Colombia: Recent Form
Argentina: WWWWW
Colombia: WWDWW
Argentina vs Colombia: Team News and Predicted Line-up
Argentina: Team News
Lionel Messi overcame a leg injury to play the full 90 minutes in Argentina’s win over Canada and is expected to start again in Miami.
Julián Álvarez’s goal in the semi-final should secure his spot in the lineup over Lautaro Martínez, while Lionel Scaloni has a settled defense featuring Lisandro Martínez and Cristian Romero at center-back.
There are still a couple of questions in midfield, with Nico González and Giovani Lo Celso competing to prove their worth ahead of Alexis Mac Allister, who has been playing on the left in a 4-4-2 formation.
Argentina: Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
- Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico
- Midfielders: Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Alliste
- Forwards: Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez
Colombia: Team News
Colombia will be without Crystal Palace defender Daniel Muñoz following his red card against Uruguay. Santiago Arias is expected to cover at right-back.
James Rodríguez is set to captain the team and will feature alongside Jhon Córdoba and Liverpool’s Luis Díaz in attack.
Colombia: Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Camilo Vargas
- Defenders: Santiago Arias, Davinson Sanchez, Carlos Cuesta, Johan Mojica
- Midfielders: Richard Rios, Jefferson Lerma, Jhon Arias
- Forwards: Luis Diaz, Jhon Cordoba, James Rodriguez
Argentina vs Colombia: Match Prediction
La Albiceleste have had a smooth run in the competition so far, scoring eight goals and conceding just once in five games. They have won 12 of their last 13 Copa America matches and are strong favorites. Under Lionel Scaloni, Argentina has lost only three of their last 63 games across all competitions and will look to continue this impressive form.
On the other hand, Los Cafeteros are on a record 28-game unbeaten streak, with their last defeat coming against Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in February 2022. Notably, their previous Copa America loss was also to the 2022 World Cup champions in the last edition of the tournament.
The defending champions enter the match with a full squad, while Néstor Lorenzo will be missing the suspended Daniel Muñoz and the injured Jhon Lucumí.
Despite both teams being in strong form, Messi and his teammates bring extensive competitive experience, which could help them secure a narrow victory, with the match likely to be decided in extra time.
Prediction: Argentina 2:1 Colombia
When and Where to Watch the Match LIVE in India?
Unfortunately, there has been no official confirmation of TV and live stream broadcasts of Copa America in India. While reports suggested that FanCode and Sony were in talks to acquire broadcast rights for the tournament, no official announcement has been made. Currently, there is no official platform or channel in India where viewers can stream or watch the match.
