A few days before the group stage draw, CONMEBOL clarified who will lead each of the zones for the upcoming tournament.
The Copa America 2024, set to be hosted in the United States, is taking shape as the continent anticipates the group composition. CONMEBOL has already moved the process forward by announcing the seeded teams for each zone, providing a clear framework for how the four groups will form.
What time is the 2024 Copa America draw?
Here is how the selection of seeds was determined and what it means for the teams involved, explained with the clarity fans expect from GOAL coverage.
ARGENTINA
The team from Argentina, known as the Albiceleste, earned the top seed in Group A because they are the current champions of the CONMEBOL Copa América after their historic victory over Brazil on July 10, 2021 at the Maracanã. That triumph was decisive in cementing their status as Group A’s leading team for the draw, ensuring they begin the tournament with a favorable position and a strong path through the initial phase. This seeding aligns with the tradition of awarding the defending continental champions a prime spot at the draw.
MEXICO
The B1 seed slot was reserved for the CONCACAF member association that also holds the Gold Cup crown, reinforcing the federation’s status as the region’s strongest side entering the competition. In this instance, that team is Mexico, who claimed the Gold Cup title by defeating Panama in the final. Their qualification for the Copa America 2024 has been secured by that triumph, with the victory on penalties over Honduras sealing their place on the roster of seeds. This seeding reflects both recent achievement and regional strength, shaping Mexico’s road through the group stage.
USA
Ball C1 corresponds to the CONCACAF federation’s best-ranked team based on the latest FIFA rankings available prior to the draw. If the top-ranked team happened to be the Gold Cup winner, the seed would shift to the next eligible team within the same confederation. In this case, the United States were assigned the C1 seed. They stand as the host nation and sit in the 12th position of the current FIFA rankings, a factor that helps determine their placement while accounting for home-field considerations and competitive balance among the groups.
BRAZIL
The D1 seed was set aside for the CONMEBOL side with the highest ranking in the FIFA list. Since Argentina had already secured Group A as the defending continental champion, the next-highest ranked CONMEBOL team earned the D1 seed. That team is Brazil, ranked among the top teams in the region, which places them in a position to be considered as one of the tournament’s heavyweight contenders. This allocation underscores the importance of current form and ranking in shaping the group stage dynamics, ensuring Brazil remains a central figure in the draw’s outcome.
These seed assignments establish the framework for the competition, influencing not only group composition but also the narrative around matchups, potential rivalries, and strategic preparations for teams across the Americas. The system rewards historical success, recent results, and ranking performance, balancing regional powerhouses with the excitement of a global tournament staged on American soil. The structure aims to create compelling early matchups while preserving fairness given the participants’ varying paths to qualification and seeding, a balance that fans and analysts will scrutinize as the countdown to kickoff continues. (Goal)