10 players to watch at the Copa América

The biggest soccer event to hit American shores before the 2026 World Cup is underway.

For the first time since 2016, the United States is guest-hosting the Copa América, South America’s national team championship. As with the last one here, it’s an expanded field with six teams from North and Central America joining South America’s 10.

Fox and Univision have the broadcast rights, and the games are all in prime time. Click here for the full schedule.

Fox has seven games on its free-to-air broadcast network, 22 games on FS1, and three games on FS2 (all simultaneous kickoffs at the end of the group stage).

Univision has every game on a free-to-air channel in Spanish, 21 on its main channel (channel 62 in Philadelphia) and 11 on UniMás (channel 28).

Almost every game is also simulcast on the network’s cable sports channel TUDN (the exceptions are some simultaneous kickoffs), and every game is on the network’s ViX streaming platform. It costs $4.99 a month or $6.99 without ads, with no long-term commitment required.

Here’s our look at 10 players to watch.

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There could be three Union players in the tournament: Martínez, Damion Lowe (Jamaica), and Andre Blake (Jamaica). Since Blake’s health is going to down to the wire, I’ve picked a safer bet.

This is Martínez’s second Copa América. His first, in 2021, was over quickly as Venezuela went winless in its group. But this time, things could be different. The Vinotinto’s group has Mexico, Ecuador, and Jamaica, and Venezuela has a shot to get out.

The reasons why include a trio of midfielders who used to play in MLS and are now succeeding abroad: Jefferson Savarino (Real Salt Lake to Brazil’s Botafogo), Yangel Herrera (New York City FC to Spain’s Girona, both owned by England’s Manchester City), and Cristian Cásseres Jr. (New York Red Bulls to France’s Toulouse).

And there’s one big striker up front in Salomon Rondón. Martínez and Union fans need no introduction to him, because he led Mexico’s Pachuca to its rout of the Union in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The 34-year-old has 41 goals in 105 career national team games.

The Venezuela-Jamaica game is June 30 in Austin, Texas (8 p.m., FS1, UniMás, Vix). It’s not often Union players face each other in international competition, so save the date to check it out.

» READ MORE: Andre Blake is on Jamaica’s Copa América roster, but it’s not clear at all if he’ll play

Speaking of MLS alumni, here’s one who’s risen to a really big stage. Almirón, who can play as a winger or central attacking midfielder, has spent the last five years with England’s Newcastle United after moving there from Atlanta United for $27 million — still the biggest sale in MLS history.

If you can’t believe it’s already been five years, you aren’t alone. In fact, Almirón has been at Newcastle long enough that it might try to sell him this summer so it can comply with newly-enforced English spending rules.

» READ MORE: Miguel Almirón still has fond memories of playing in Atlanta

U.S. men’s national team fans know him from his role in Colombia’s 5-1 demolition of the Americans earlier this month. English Premier League fans know him from his exploits for Liverpool. That’s enough people to make him pretty familiar in the soccer world.

What you might not know, though, is that the Cafeteros are in the midst of a 23-game unbeaten streak that dates to February 2022. These are heady times for a country that hasn’t always been seen as one of South America’s giants, and not qualifying for the 2022 World Cup didn’t help.

But in the Copa América, Colombia has made the quarterfinals five straight times, including third-place finishes in 2016 and 2019. Another deep run could be in the cards this year for a team with one of the world’s catchiest national anthems.

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The best pure striker in North America doesn’t play for the U.S. or Mexico, the continent’s traditional heavyweights. He plays for Canada and France’s Lille, where he just scored 26 goals for the second straight season (and had nine assists too).

One of these days, Lille will sell David and make a heap of money doing it. But for now, he’s focused on leading his country, and it will be a huge task this summer. Canada is in a brutal group that started with Argentina in Thursday’s tournament opener then has Peru and Chile.

David can’t cause an upset alone, needing service from teammates including Bayern Munich star left back Alphonso Davies. But he can score if he gets chances, and this will be a big stage for it. And as we saw in Thursday’s 2-0 loss, Canada’s got some moxie. Can the Maple Leafs pull off an upset in one of their two remaining games?

By the way, David was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Haitian parents. The 24-year-old moved to Haiti as a baby, then to Ottawa at age 6, and started playing for Canadian youth teams in 2017. He was invited to the U.S. under-20 team in 2018, but turned it down because he wanted to play for Canada.

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Mexico doesn’t often give young players the reins at major tournaments, but it’s finally doing so this time. Giménez, 23, is a prolific striker for Dutch club Feyenoord and could move somewhere bigger soon.

El Tri will have huge fan support at its Copa games, as it always does when it plays in the United States. Manager Jimmy Lozano is under huge pressure to deliver, and Giménez scoring would be the best way for it to happen.

» READ MORE: Alarm bells were ringing around the USMNT after its embarrassing loss to Colombia

You might not pick him as the biggest star on Uruguay squad that also has star forwards Luis Suárez and Darwin Núñez. If you want to pick the player who’s most likely to run the show for the Celeste, though, here he is.

Valverde is a big-time midfielder for his country and Real Madrid, where he just won his third La Liga and second Champions League title. He’s a stalwart on a club team with some of the world’s biggest stars, playing 4,280 minutes over 54 games this season.

The U.S.-Uruguay group stage finale on July 1 at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium (9 p.m., FS1, Univision 62, TUDN, ViX) is one of the most anticipated games of the tournament. Valverde has the talent to dictate how that game goes.

» READ MORE: Is the USMNT playing in the Copa América a big deal? Christian Pulisic sure thinks so.

This 17-year-old midfielder is one of the most hotly-anticipated young prospects in the world.

He has so much talent that England’s Chelsea signed him to a pre-contract last June, just after he turned 16. That was after he turned pro at 15 with the club where he still is now, Independiente del Valle. He’ll go to Chelsea when he turns 18 next year.

When La Tri played Bolivia at Subaru Park last week, defender John Yeboah — another of the team’s young stars at age 23 — told The Inquirer: “We know he’s a big player, but we have to help him to be the star … We just need to feed him and help him, and if he keeps [up] like this, I think we have a wonderful No. 10 in our team.”

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You are absolutely allowed to be annoyed with the state of the U.S. men right now. If they flop in this tournament, you’ll absolutely be allowed to call for Gregg Berhalter’s dismissal — and “flop” doesn’t just mean failing to get out of the group.

They should at least get out, because their first two games are against clearly worse teams: Bolivia on Sunday in Arlington, Texas (6 p.m., Fox, Univision 62, ViX), then Panama next Thursday in Atlanta (6 p.m., Fox, Univision 62, ViX).

Then things get hard fast. If the U.S. loses to Uruguay, it will probably play Brazil in the quarterfinals. Lose that game badly — and they could lose both of those games badly, the way things are going — and Berhalter’s seat will be as hot as the air in Glendale, Ariz., where that quarterfinal will be played.

What if things go right, though? That starts with two players above all: Tyler Adams, the midfield linchpin, and Pulisic, the team’s best player.

A decent number of players have tried to claim Pulisic’s title in recent times. Gio Reyna and Tim Weah are closest right now. But the Hershey native still has it. If he plays at his best, and he often does with the national team, he delivers in the biggest moments like no other American man can.

» READ MORE: Christian Pulisic’s goal gives USMNT a historic 1-1 tie against Brazil in final Copa América warmup game

You might be surprised that the arguably greatest player of all time isn’t No. 1. The reason is you already know about him, even if you’re just a casual soccer follower.

After years of suffering with his national team, Messi finally earned redemption by leading Argentina to the 2021 Copa América and 2022 World Cup. Now he’s in his second year with Inter Miami, so more fans in the U.S. than ever have been able to see him. (Though he won’t visit Philadelphia this year unless Miami and the Union meet in the Leagues Cup next month, which is unlikely.)

It’s certainly possible that Argentina can repeat as Copa champions, with a team that also includes terrific strikers Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez. If that happens, it would be one of the sport’s all-time feats — up there with Spain winning the 2008 European Championship, 2010 World Cup, and 2012 Euros in succession.

We’ve already seen Messi get off to a good start. He created both of the Albiceleste’s goal-scoring plays on Tuesday, with Álvarez finishing the first and Martínez the second.

But even with all that, my pick for the No. 1 player to watch is still someone else.

» READ MORE: A look back at Lionel Messi’s top 10 career moments

When Brazil is referred to as the most decorated team in international soccer history, that means World Cups. The Seleçao have won five, more than any other men’s or women’s team. They haven’t done as well in the Copa América, with nine titles compared to 15 each by Argentina and Uruguay.

This year’s Brazil team might not bring the 10th, because its defense isn’t great and manager Dorival Júnior is underwhelming. But the attack is flat-out terrifying, and could carry the team a long way.

Vinícius — like all great Brazilians, he usually goes by one name — leads a three-pronged attack with Real Madrid teammate Rodrygo (also age 23) and Barcelona’s Raphinha (27). The bench depth is led by another of the world’s hottest young phenoms, 17-year-old Endrick, who will join Real this summer.

You may have seen Vinícius’ outstanding season with Madrid: 24 goals and 11 assists, including the clinching goal in the Champions League final. It was the 23-year-old’s second goal in three years in Champions League finals, which is an amazing feat on its own.

If he adds a Copa América title this summer, or even if he just takes Brazil deep, he will be a favorite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award as the world’s best player.

» READ MORE: The full Copa América draw and schedule