However, don’t sleep on Copa América, the South American tournament expanded this year to include the U.S., Mexico and four other teams. “Well, everybody prioritizes their tournament,” Messi fired back in a TV interview ahead of the Copa América opener Thursday between Argentina and Canada. 5 Brazil, the Copa América field also has two of the top five teams in the latest FIFA world rankings. “All those things are data points that will be collected.”The seven other Copa stadiums staging World Cup matches will conduct similar trials. Copa América will be a World Cup test for the USMNT as wellThe 2026 World Cup will be a defining moment for the U.S., and the Copa might give an indication how the national team will be defined.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 20, 2024 17:24 UTC