The 2024 Copa America is only a few months away, and as always, football fans should expect nothing less in this continental tournament.
In June, Argentina are set to defend their title after winning it in the last edition in 2021 to break their long drought. However, they will face stiff competition, according to the Copa America 2024 odds and the Copa America 2024 updates, especially since the number of teams who will compete has increased to 16 (compared to 10 before).
As all teams make their preparations for the much-awaited competition, join SBOTOP as we look back at some of the greatest memories of this tournament in recent times.
Colombia won the big one on home soil
The 2001 Copa America is definitely one for the books, and there are two teams that have particularly stood out.
Colombia were the hosts of the tournament, and they made their fans proud by going on a spectacular run to become only the second nation to win the continental trophy on home soil.
Los Cafeteros went undefeated throughout the tournament, as they breezed past everyone in Group A before dispatching Peru, Honduras, and Mexico in the knockouts while not conceding a single goal.
For the icing on the cake, Victor Aristizabal won the tournament’s Golden Boot with six goals.
Speaking of Honduras, they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in competition history in this edition of the continental tournament.
After finishing second in Group C, Honduras were expected to be eliminated early in the knockouts by Brazil, but the opposite happened, as Los Catrachos won 2-0. After an own goal by Brazil’s Juliano Belletti, Saul Martinez scored another goal for Honduras in added time for good measure.
Granted that Brazil were undermanned without Cafu, Roberto Carlos, and Romario against Honduras, Brazil were still the overwhelming favourites in the tournament, which is why then-head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was pissed when they exited early.
Although Honduras only managed to win bronze, this particular match against the vaunted Brazilians will live long in history as one of the greatest results of all time.
Chile complete Copa America repeat as Messi falters
Only four teams have managed to complete a repeat in Copa America, and one of them is Colombia, who did so in 2016.
In 2015, Chile were the hosts of the tournament. After taking the top spot in Group A, La Roja, led by Arturo Vidal, Eduardo Vargas, and Alexis Sanchez, beat Uruguay and Peru before their final showdown against Argentina.
After a goalless draw in regular time, the final went down to the penalty shootout. Chile won 4-1 to win their first-ever Copa America title.
In 2016, Chile advanced to the knockouts with the second spot in Group D. Just like the year prior, the final between them and Argentina went to the penalty shootout.
La Roja completed their successful title defence as they won 4-2, with Lionel Messi’s huge spot-kick miss being the decisive blow for La Albiceleste.
Argentina striker Sergio Aguero at the time said that Lionel Messi was so “broken” after missing from the spot to the point that he decided to go into early international retirement after they lost their third major final in two years.
“We are trying to think about other things and continue on forward. But it’s hard. Once again, luck has gone against us,” said Aguero. “Unfortunately, the most broken one is Messi for his missed penalty. It is the worst that I have ever seen him in the dressing rooms after a game.”
“For me, the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion. My thinking right now and thinking about it in the locker room. I’m done playing with the national team,” said Messi at the time.
Messi finally wins the elusive crown
It’s a good thing that Lionel Messi thought it over and decided to give it one more try for Argentina.
Argentina eked out a penalty shootout win over Colombia in the semi-finals after going undefeated in the group stage and routing Ecuador in the quarter-finals. And everything was in place for a dream final between Lionel Messi and Neymar.
But it was neither Messi nor Neymar who starred in the final, as Angel Di Maria stole the spotlight by scoring the marginal goal in just 22 minutes.
After Messi won his first-ever Copa America trophy, the rest, as they say, is history, as he won another big trophy for Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.
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