Argentina vs. Canada
Copa América 2024 — Group A
June 20, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Watch Live: OneSoccer & TVA Sports
Put simply, it’s Canada against the best in the world on Thursday night.
Millions of eyes will be on the Canadian men’s national team, as they feature in the first match of Copa América 2024, against the reigning World Cup champions and the number one-ranked side in FIFA: Argentina.
This opening game of Group A, in front of 70,000-plus in Atlanta, may well be the most difficult test Canada have ever encountered, and it’s another baptism of fire for Jesse Marsch’s first competitive game in charge of Les Rouges.
Canada, ranked 49th in the world and 11th among teams at Copa América this year, come into this match without much pressure, but with plenty of hope. In their two pre-tournament friendlies, they were eventually battered by the Netherlands 4-0 after a goalless first half, but they managed to hold second-ranked France to a 0-0 draw in Bordeaux.
In order to understand just what Canada are up against, and just what any kind of result other than a lopsided defeat would mean, it’s important to fully comprehend this Argentina team and what they intend to do over the next few weeks.
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They’re ranked first in the world, and they have been for well over a year. They’re the reigning World Cup champions, as well as the reigning holders of Copa América.
In the last four and a half years, Argentina have lost just two games: a World Cup qualifier to Uruguay and the group stage opener in Qatar to Saudi Arabia. That’s just two losses in 43 matches; under manager Lionel Scaloni, they have a staggering 50-15-6 record. They’ve won their last five in a row, beating Ecuador and Guatemala in their two tune-up friendlies this month.
They have already played six games in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, and they’re 5-0-1, conceding just two goals in the process.
Twenty-one of Argentina’s current squad were at the World Cup in Qatar, including their entire starting XI from the final.
There are also 21 Argentine players in this team currently playing in a top five European league, and none of them are named Lionel Messi.
Nobody is coming to this article to learn who Messi is. Perhaps the greatest player of all time, he remains the captain and face of the Albiceleste. He will be in the lineup on Thursday against Canada.
For Argentina, it’s champions or bust at this tournament. They’re the current holders of the Copa América, beating Brazil in the final of the 2021 edition. That was Messi’s first international trophy, shortly before he won his second in Qatar.
Now, this might be the 36-year-old Messi’s final Copa América — the seventh such tournament he’s played in. He no longer has any need to cement his legacy on the international stage, but this Argentina side is hungry to add to his mythology, of which Canada will now be a part.
For Argentina, anything less than three wins from three games in Group A would be considered a disappointment. Canada, of course, remain hopeful of getting into the knockout stage, and even a defeat here wouldn’t dash that dream — provided they can turn it around against Chile and Peru.
The Canadian players won’t all be unfamiliar with their Argentine foes. Alphonso Davies has played (and beaten) the likes of Messi and Di Maria in the Champions League, and he battles with Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios all the time in Germany. Tajon Buchanan is a teammate of Lautaro Martínez at Inter Milan. Cyle Larin is familiar with at least five of the current squad from playing them in La Liga this year.
Jonathan David will, of course, be hoping for revenge on goalkeeper Emi Martínez, after the Aston Villa shot-stopper prevented David’s Lille from advancing to the UEFA Europa Conference League semifinals in a penalty shootout.
And of course, a handful of Canadians — Moïse Bombito, Jonathan Osorio, and Jacob Shaffelburg — have played against Messi’s Inter Miami in MLS. Kamal Miller, now of the Portland Timbers, may have some valuable intel to provide, as the only Canadian player who has ever been a teammate of the diminutive superstar, having played 14 games with Messi at Miami last year.
By every reckoning, Canada are heavy underdogs. Almost every Canadian player’s defensive assignment will be the most difficult of his career.
This is a moment they’ve been dreaming of, though. In order to become the top-class side Marsch wants them to become, and to make an impression at a home World Cup in 2026, they have to test themselves in the most difficult of circumstances. Several Canadian players have played against such high-level competition at club level, and plenty more aspire to do so in the next few years. Win or lose, this is a game where individuals can make an impact and catch the world’s attention.
Scoring against Martínez could surely put David on a few more clubs’ radars this summer, for instance. Or Ismaël Koné could get a big move from Watford if he proves a match in midfield for Leandro Paredes or Rodrigo De Paul.
Canada proved they can match up against the best in their draw with France. Unlike that match however, this is no friendly. This is the start of a major tournament that means absolutely everything to Argentina.
“I’ve challenged our group to understand what this game will be like and what it will require, and it will be very difficult for us, no doubt about that,” Marsch told the media on Wednesday. “Maybe even more than a football and tactical perspective, is the experience and physicality of what the match will be. But I think this is good for us. It’s a good way for us to understand what the highest standard of the game is like.”
To get a result, Canada likely have to be perfect, or thereabouts. That said, they cannot enter this game afraid of Argentina. Marsch has insisted they’re focusing on themselves more than their opponents in the build-up to Thursday, but it’ll still require perhaps the best performance in the team’s history to get something from this game.
Stranger things have happened though, and nothing can be taken for granted in international football. With the eyes of the world upon them, could Canada rise to the occasion and deliver something truly special?
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Argentina: E. Martínez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martínez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Fernández; Messi, La. Martínez, Dí María
Canada: Crépeau; Johnston, Bombito, Cornelius, Davies; Buchanan, Eustáquio, Koné, Millar; David, Larin
ALL-TIME SERIES
Argentina wins: 1 || Canada wins: 0 || Draws: 0
Last meeting:
May 24, 2010 – Argentina 5-0 Canada
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (VEN)
ARs: Jorge Urrego (VEN) & Lubin Torrealba (VEN)
4th Official: Ivan Barton (SLV)
VAR: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
KEY QUOTES
“We are addressing Argentina right now and we know how good they are, but where we are in our process is more about us. … We know it’s the biggest challenge we could be presented with at the start of a big tournament. But I’m confident in our team, I’m confident in the process we created and I believe that we’ll have a very good match and that the players will go after the game in every way. That confidence and self-belief has to always be there with our team.” — Canada head coach Jesse Marsch
“It’s a great honour. I thank Jesse for putting the trust in me, and to the guys that have trusted me to lead this team. I’m very happy to wear the armband for this country. It’s something you dream about as a kid.” — Canada defender Alphonso Davies on being named captain
