Argentina have continued their continental dominance, winning back-to-back Copa America championships in a tournament with as much drama on the pitch as off it.
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00:00History has been made in South America, as Argentina are crowned Copa America champions for the 16th time.
00:07But they weren't the only remarkable moments to emerge from an intriguing tournament.
00:11There were tears, records broken and violence on and off the pitch.
00:15Let's take a look back at the highs and lows of what was an exciting competition.
00:24Hello and welcome to Football Now.
00:27Next up on the list of major international football tournaments this summer is our review of the 2024 Copa America.
00:35Argentina made history by winning the competition for a record 16th time.
00:40But the significance of their victory doesn't end there.
00:43They become the first ever South American team to win three major trophies in a row,
00:48thanks in part to their FIFA World Cup triumph here in Qatar back in 2022.
00:54Let's take a look at what was an incredible addition of the Copa America.
01:25It was Lionel Scaloni's side who kicked off the tournament in the USA.
01:29They beat Canada in the curtain raise in Atlanta and went on to win Group A with three wins out of three.
01:35The big shock of the group stage was the early exit of the United States in Group C.
01:40It was a huge disappointment for the hosts, but for their neighbours,
01:43it was a big step forward for the team.
01:47The big shock of the group stage was the early exit of the United States in Group C.
01:51It was a huge disappointment for the hosts, but for their neighbours,
01:54Canada, 2024 was a huge success.
01:57Under new coach Jesse Marsh, formerly of Leeds United and Red Bull Salzburg,
02:01a semi-final appearance was a great result.
02:04How can Leroux build on this ahead of co-hosting the World Cup in 2026?
02:09Play for play and pound for pound in terms of tenacity.
02:13Canadians showed up in a way they hadn't seen before to say we're world class.
02:17And in Canadian vernacular, we can hang here.
02:20In terms of what needs to happen, I think the more international exposure for this team is really, really important.
02:24They really need to have a slew of international friendlies, not just in qualifying times,
02:29but really building up regularly.
02:31And it's something, I don't know if it will be feasible or tenable for the federation to do this,
02:35but it's something that I know Marsh has on his, like, in his mind.
02:38Brazil suffered disappointment, finishing second in Group D behind Colombia,
02:43before losing on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-final.
02:46This set Marco Bielsa's team up with a semi-final against Colombia,
02:50where Jefferson Lerma's goal booked them their place in the final.
02:54However, they came up against a true international superpower in Argentina.
02:58A tense final was won in extra time by striker Lautaro Martinez,
03:02but it was the team's defensive record that truly won them the tournament.
03:06They only conceded one goal in six matches,
03:09and lifted their second consecutive trophy at the final in Miami.
03:13Well, one question that will naturally be asked after this period of success for Argentina
03:19surrounds the future of Lionel Messi.
03:21The team captain was substituted off in the final after picking up an ankle injury,
03:26but still managed to cement his legacy as the most decorated player of all time,
03:31winning his 45th major honour.
03:34With that in mind, and the injuries now becoming more frequent,
03:37is it time for Messi to walk away from the game on a high note?
03:41Another international trophy for Messi, this could be the last dance.
03:45It seems like it won't be, it seems like he's going to continue on to the 2026 World Cup.
03:49Messi, of course, went off crying, injured, which was unfortunate, in the final.
03:52And then it feels like the team has such a great united bond.
03:55The players were like, oh, Messi's carried us so many times, we need to carry him,
03:59we need to bring him joy.
04:00Hopefully we still get to see that at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
04:04But his international legacy, just like his club legacy, is secured.
04:08Another trophy to add to the resume, and it's been incredible to watch.
04:12Well, it was an exciting end to the tournament, but it was also overshadowed by violence.
04:17Post-match celebrations were cut short after Colombia's semifinal win,
04:22with Uruguay players entering the stands and clashing with opposition supporters.
04:27Meanwhile, the final in Miami was delayed by 80 minutes,
04:31due to serious crowd control issues before the game.
04:34It's raised plenty of questions about how prepared the USA are
04:38to host World Cup games in just under two years' time.
04:41So, what needs to change before the tournament kicks off in 2026?
04:46I think that the problem was that there were a lot of people without tickets.
04:50I think that the first thing that failed in this organization were the filters.
04:55If you go to this match, or the final, or a soccer event, or any sports event,
05:00you have to have a filter previous to show that if you have a ticket or not.
05:05But obviously this is a lesson for the FIFA to organize it better.
05:10I think that the prizes, the tickets, also the filters, organization, security,
05:15will be factors that FIFA needs to look for in the different stadiums
05:20that are going to host the World Cup.
05:22To have everything secure, to have everything organized,
05:25because a lot of people are going to be there.
05:27And if you have the final in the mid-life in New York,
05:30you've got to be very organized to have more than 80,000 people there.
05:35Congratulations to Argentina for their historic win at the 2024 Copa America,
05:42their third major international trophy in three tournaments.
05:46Let us know your thoughts using the hashtag FootballNowCopaAmerica.
05:50That's all we've got time for from our studio here in Doha.
05:53We'll see you next time. Bye for now.