On June 20, the America Cup in United States. The continental tournament will have 31 matches in this edition, including those corresponding to the group stage and the direct elimination duels. With Argentina starting as one of the big favorites, there are 16 teams that will fight for the title. The champion will be defined on July 14.
That day there will also be another winner: the team that loses the final will take a trophy similar to the one given to the winner. It’s about the Bolivia Cupwhich no one wants to receive.
This curious trophy was created by the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) in 1997 for the edition of the Copa América that took place in Bolivia. The objective was to recognize the runner-up with a cup similar (a little smaller) to the original.
On that occasion, the local team won the prize after losing 3-1 to Brazil in the stadium Hernando Siles from La Paz. He thus became the first to win this “unwanted” award.
The Argentine team was the one that received it the most times: they kept it three times, in 2004, 2007 and 2015. Meanwhile, Uruguay won it in 1999, while Mexico did the same in 2001, Paraguay in 2011, Peru in 2019 and, finally, Brazil in 2021.
The only exception was in the 2016 edition, held in the United States in commemoration of the 100 years of the creation of the Copa América. That time it would have been Argentina’s turn again after the defeat against Chile, but there was no consolation prize as it was an unusual edition.
As with several trophies, the champion retains it in his showcases until a new edition of the competition begins: “The possession of the COPA AMÉRICA and COPA BOLIVIA Trophies will be temporary, and they must be returned to CONMEBOL on the occasion of the draw for the next edition of the contest”, states the statute of the Conmebol.
The tournament will begin with the match between Argentina and Canada, that will be disputed in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, at 8:00 p.m. (local time). The complete schedule of the Conmebol Copa América USA 2024 is available on the official website, where you can also purchase tickets.
The group stage will run until July 2, followed by the quarterfinals between July 4 and 6. Meanwhile, the semifinals will be played on July 9 and 10, the match for third place will be on July 13 and the grand final, as mentioned above, is scheduled for the 14th of the same month.
This It will be the second time in history that it will host 16 teams, repeating the formula used in the 2016 edition, also held in the United States. The Concacaf teams qualified through the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League. The teams from North, Central America and the Caribbean that will participate are the United States, Panama, Jamaica, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica.
