In men’s soccer, only South American and European teams have won the World Cup, starting with hosts Uruguay in the inaugural World Cup in 1930. Today, South America remains a soccer powerhouse, with six of the world’s top 21 teams in the CONMEBOL federation, comprised of the 10 best South American teams. CONMEBOL’s quadrennial tournament, the Copa America, starts June 14 and goes through July 7, so if you’re wondering how Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay all stack up against one another, a year removed from a World Cup that had two European finalists, check out the action from Brazil.
What is the Copa America?
Started in 1916, the tournament now runs every four years with all 10 CONMEBOL teams—and, of late, to round out the field, two other international teams invited to participate. In 2016, a year after Chile hosted and won the 2015 edition, the United States got to host and participate in a special edition called the Copa America Centenario that also involved Mexico and other teams from the CONCACAF federation. (Chile won that one too.) While some thought the event might be the precursor for an expanded version of the tournament involving the entire hemisphere, this edition’s invitees are both from Asia: regional stalwart Japan and 2022 World Cup host Qatar.
Which Copa America teams should you know?
This year’s host and the highest-ranked CONMEBOL team, Brazil will be without the injured Neymar, but they have plenty of talent you’ll recognize from top European leagues, including Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Willian, and Philippe Coutinho. Argentina, anchored as usual by Lionel Messi, will bring a characteristically talented squad including Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria, and Paulo Dybala. Defending champion Chile has Alexis Sanchez, Eduardo Vargas, and Gary Medel in its roster, all of whom have been key to the team in recent tournaments. Uruguay’s most recognizable names include Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Diego Godin, and Lucas Torreira.
MLS, of course, has helped raise the profile of rising South American stars in recent years. Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron and Venezuela’s Josef Martinez were key members of last year’s MLS Cup-winning Atlanta United team.
Copa America live stream: Watch Copa America matches online
1) ESPN+
- Cost: $4.99 per month or $49.99 for 12 months
- Devices: Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku players and TV, Oculus Go, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Samsung smart TVs, and iOS and Android devices
ESPN+ is a subscription service that extends ESPN’s existing website and app, and it’s essential for soccer fans in particular, carrying Copa America matches, as well as Serie A+, MLS, USL, and FA Cup matches. It encompasses other sporting events as well, including 20 exclusive UFC Fight Night events per year, 180 NHL games, at least one MLB game a day for every day of the season, and a cornucopia of college sports.
ESPN+ also features the network’s sports talk programming, and it features original series starting with the entire 30 for 30 catalog ESPN made its name on. It also unlocks more content and fewer ads on the ESPN site.
2) FuboTV
- Cost: $44.99 for the first month, $54.99 per month thereafter (after a 7-day free trial)
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
FuboTV is a solid TV streaming service option, whether your tastes run to entertainment (AMC, Syfy, FX), news (MSNBC, CNN), or sports (NBA TV, NFL Network). If you’re a soccer fan, however, it will appear tailor-made for you, with 10 beIN SPORTS channels, NBCSN, FS1, FS2, UniMás, Champions League action via TNT, and Copa America action via Telemundo and Universo all on tap. If you can’t watch a match live, FuboTV offers a three-day replay for each match and 30 hours of cloud DVR. (Check out the complete FuboTV channels list.)
FuboTV also has bilingual families in mind; each subscription comes with UniMás, Galavisión, NBC Universo, beIN SPORTS, Univision, and Fox Deportes. An extra $7.99 per month will bring you Latino Plus, which includes CNN en Español and TyC Sports among its offerings.
3) Sling TV
- Sling TV pricing: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, Microsoft Edge, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Sling TV provides two base channel package options, each priced at $25 per month. Sling Orange includes three ESPN channels, while Sling Blue includes sports channels like NFL Network, FS1 and FS2, NBCSN, and local channels. If you’re Team “Why Not Both,” Sling Orange + Blue combines the two for just $40 per month. To add beIN SPORTS and maximize your soccer-watching potential, you’ll want to add either Sports Extra: Sling Orange ($5 per month) or Sports Extra: Sling Blue ($10 per month). (The latter also includes NFL RedZone.) To access Copa America the way the host nation watches it, the Brasil Mega package gets you access to Globo.
Spanish-speaking viewers have quite a few options. For bilingual families, you might consider the Español: Best of Spanish TV package for either Sling Orange or Sling Blue for 24/7 specialty channel LaLiga TV and beIN SPORTS Connect: Channels 4-9, which features matches from LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Copa del Rey, among others. Both packages cost $5 per month after your free trial. Sling TV Latino is another Spanish-language package for $10 per month, including NBC Universo, History en Español, and—of import to soccer fans—four beIN SPORTS channels. (And choosing Sling TV Latino + Sling Orange for $30 per month gives you access to ESPN Deportes.) For more information, check out our guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.
4) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
PlayStation Vue is a fantastic option for soccer fans who already own a PlayStation console, but this streaming platform is available on a variety of devices. Telemundo, where you’ll find Copa America, is part of the Core package of channels, which offers soccer and other sports programming, and the options increase at the Elite and Ultra levels.
5) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its broad spectrum of offerings (including Copa America coverage on Telemundo), and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
6) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for soccer fans, including Telemundo and Universo for Copa America matches, TNT for Champions League matches, NBCSN for Premier League matches, and broadcasting partnerships with three MLS teams. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
Copa America winners
- 2016: Chile
- 2015: Chile
- 2011: Uruguay
- 2007: Brazil
- 2004: Brazil
- 2001: Colombia
- 1999: Brazil
Here is the complete list of winners, dating back to the first edition in 1977.
Copa America groups
- Group A: Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela
- Group B: Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Qatar
- Group C: Chile, Ecuador, Japan, Uruguay
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