Did Copa América's controversies dampen excitement for the 2026 World Cup?

The 2024 Copa América has come to an end and, after a tournament full of twists and turns, Argentina were crowned champions, beating Colombia 1-0 on Sunday after some long security-induced delays at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. So, what better time than now to reflect on the past 24 days of high-octane soccer?

This tournament has been a memorable one, for all sorts of reasons, both good and bad. There were thrilling games and standout performances, but also poor pitches that earned widespread condemnation, brutally oppressive heat that caused a ref and a player to have medical incidents, and exorbitantly high ticket prices that have led to small crowds at some games.

But those controversies didn’t compare to the way the tournament ended, with a melee between Uruguayan players and Colombia fans after the semifinal, and then widespread security breaches where droves of fans without tickets forced their way into Hard Rock Stadium ahead of Sunday’s final.

ESPN’s reporters who covered the tournament on the ground — Lizzy Becherano, Jeff Carlisle, Cesar Hernandez and Jeff Kassouf — weigh in with their Copa highs and lows, and predictions of what’s to come.

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Favorite on-field moment of the tournament

Becherano: The quarterfinal between Argentina and Ecuador at NRG Stadium in Houston stands out. The overwhelmingly pro-Argentina crowd celebrated the first goal in the first half by breaking out in chants and jumping in unison to “muchachos,” but it was Ecuador’s equalizer in the last minute that continues to send chills down my spine. For a moment, the Ecuador players and fans felt invincible. And then the penalty shootout. I’ll always remember the collective gasp of over 70,000 fans when Lionel Messi missed his spot kick and the mixed reactions to Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez’s antics after every save.

Carlisle: This isn’t so much a moment, but a phenomenon for the entirety of the tournament: the renaissance of Colombia’s James Rodríguez. This is a player who has been sliding down the ladder of the club game ever since his spell at Real Madrid ended in 2020 and he is already on the outs with current club São Paulo. But the 33-year-old forward was arguably the most important player in this tournament. His six assists are a record for a single Copa América, and there is no chance Colombia would have reached the final without him. Rodriguez was nothing short of sensational.

Hernandez: It was genuinely uplifting to see Panama and Canada exceed expectations as the best performing Concacaf sides. You’ll probably have some USMNT and Mexico fans who won’t feel at ease with my assessment, but this is good news for the North American scene that continues to highlight growth and progress outside of the traditional big two.

Kassouf: This is a job where we want to see interesting stories, and Canada making it to a semifinal — led by Jesse Marsch, who missed out on the U.S. men’s national team head coach job, and then took Canada further than the U.S. in Copa América — was a really interesting story. Do Canada play picture-perfect soccer? No, and they were obviously outmatched by Argentina, in the end, but it was good to see some Concacaf representation in the semifinals.

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Favorite experience from covering the tournament

Becherano: I’m always one to arrive hours before the media gates open, giving me an opportunity to speak with the fans. This tournament brought out the most incredible supporters, with families traveling from hundreds of miles away to catch a glimpse of their favorite player, or others simply to reconnect with the roots of their ancestral countries.

One group, in particular, spoke to me about the importance of rooting for Chile as immigrants living in New York. Another fan teared up when explaining he is unable to visit Ecuador and the 2024 Copa América allowed him to see his team play a competitive match for the first time. So much can be said about events on the pitch, but the tournament truly brought people together.

Carlisle: I had the benefit of staying at the same hotel as Uruguay ahead of that game in Kansas City. The lobby of the hotel was constantly buzzing with fans, at all hours, and they were desperate to get a glimpse, however brief, of their idols. The interviews in front of the main lobby were chaotic. One woman even tried to exit the elevator on the floor where the team was staying, only for security to intervene. “I had to try!” she said with a smile. It sums up just how much these teams mean to their fans, and to the country as a whole.

Hernandez: Was it my effortless but tasty goal of trying at least one taco per city? Checking out an MLB game in Houston with an elote [Mexican street corn] in hand? Personally, as someone who was once a bookseller in his younger days, I would have to say it was visiting a local bookstore/bar, Changing Hands Bookstore, in Phoenix. It’s a very nerdy answer, but there was something magical about being able to get a pint and slowly wander around while looking for a book to buy.

Kassouf: Well, the game in question here is one to forget from a U.S. perspective, but I was impressed with the atmosphere in Kansas City for USA vs. Uruguay. The bipartisan crowd and energy matched the moment of a must-win game at a major tournament (although the USMNT’s on-field performance didn’t quite do so.)

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Biggest surprise of the tournament

Becherano: The lack of marketing surrounding the tournament shocked me. Miami, a host city and one of the most diverse, football-centric places in the country, boasted merely a few Copa América signs. Most advertising seemed to be placed by sponsors — like Michelob Ultra’s Messi posters, or Adidas’ “You Got This” signs — but not much actually posted by CONMEBOL. New York City seemed to endorse the UEFA European Championship more than Copa América, showing replays of matches instead of the live CONMEBOL games. I am not aware of any fan zones provided for spectators hoping to watch the game, or events organized by CONMEBOL to incite support.

As a reporter covering the tournament, I am aware of the games happening in every city, but several football fans I know had absolutely no idea when or where teams would be. The correlation between the lack of advertising and low attendance in the group stage will likely be reviewed afterward.

Carlisle: My selection here is influenced to a degree by just how poorly the U.S. performed, but the play of Canada certainly counts as a surprise to me. Marsch was in charge for how long before the tournament? A month? And yet he managed to get Canada playing with a cohesive style that took them all the way to the semifinals. A penny for the thoughts of U.S. sporting director Matt Crocker, who opted a year ago to retain Gregg Berhalter as USMNT coach instead of hiring Marsch.

Hernandez: Utilizing public transportation to get to games wasn’t as bad as expected, but still a mixed bag. In Houston, there’s an affordable light rail with a station near NRG Stadium, while in Inglewood it was fairly easy to get to SoFi Stadium by bus and a short walk through the manageable Southern California weather. Things got a bit more complicated in the 110-plus degree heat of Las Vegas and Phoenix. Allegiant Stadium and State Farm Stadium can be reached through bus stops in the general vicinity of the venues, but only if you’re willing to risk a 10-to-15 minute walk under the scorching sun.

Spending money on Lyft/Uber was the obvious option, which makes you think about the added cost for fans in an already expensive Copa.

Kassouf: It has to be the poor performance of the USMNT on home soil two years ahead of a World Cup on these same fields. I don’t know anyone who realistically expected the Americans to go win this tournament, and I think most thought that a quarterfinal exit looked likely given the potential opponents. However, to not get out of a group that included Bolivia and Panama was an epic failure that ultimately cost Berhalter his job as head coach.

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Much has been made of the pitch conditions, crowds, weather and poor security. Do you think the Copa has dampened enthusiasm for the World Cup in many of the same cities in two years?

Becherano: While certain fans continue to hold out hope that FIFA will manage the 2026 World Cup differently, most expressed deep disappointment to me when discussing the subject. The 2024 Copa América could have served as an opportunity to grow the game in the United States, but instead the tournament seemed to only reaffirm beliefs that the country remains wildly unprepared to host a massive football competition. Naturally, the World Cup incites excitement, but the conversation surrounding 2026 will be riddled with questions regarding ticket prices, weather, pitch conditions and security rather than the games.

Carlisle: Fans have short memories, and two years is a long time. And are fans really going to turn down an opportunity to see their team in a World Cup just because of something that happened two years prior in a tournament FIFA wasn’t even running? Some will decide not to go — including one Colombia fan I spoke with after he had managed to get himself and his son into the final — but the vast majority will, even with how chaotic the final was.

Now, can some lessons be learned? You bet, especially for games being held in extreme heat. Placement of players’ families in the stands needs to be thought through to a much greater degree. Crowd control needs to be vastly improved. Hopefully, FIFA will get the word out on some do’s and don’ts. But no, I don’t think it will dampen enthusiasm. The World Cup will still be a once-in-a-lifetime event for a lot of people, especially given the expanded field that will likely include a lot of teams that either haven’t ever qualified for the World Cup, or are doing so for the first time in ages.

Hernandez: To quote Richard Guel, a leader of Mexico supporters group Pancho Villa’s Army, who spoke to ESPN during the group stage about ticket prices and access: “If this is any indication of the World Cup, I don’t even want to think about it.” There’s going to be a bad aftertaste left when looking at numerous factors, including ticket prices, but the pull and magnitude of the World Cup will inevitably have everyone (myself included, admittedly) eagerly scrambling back in 2026, regardless of the factors on and off the field.

Kassouf: I would offer the counterpoint here that I think the general public is less aware of what Copa América is (to Lizzy’s point above about marketing) but absolutely knows the magnitude of the World Cup. The casual sports fan probably heard about the USMNT’s failures in the news, but they weren’t likely to be locked into watching Copa América. They will come around during the World Cup. But the hardcore fans? They won’t forget the exorbitant ticket prices, for one. I think that core audience will be annoyed by the experience but, again, that engaged of a fan is unlikely to pass up the opportunity to see a World Cup in their own backyard.

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Is there anything specifically FIFA can or should learn from the Copa América and do differently in 2026 for the World Cup?

Carlisle: FIFA can take a simple approach to this: whatever CONMEBOL did during the Copa, do the exact opposite. This likely won’t apply to ticket prices — for the World Cup, I expect them to be as high if not higher. Everything else though, from the field conditions, to field sizing, to venue operations, to media operations and, most of all, security of fans, should be done in the exact opposite way.

Fortunately, for all of its faults, FIFA knows how to run a World Cup. Now, this often comes at a large expense to the host cities, (which is another topic entirely), but logistically, there won’t be any comparison to CONMEBOL, which is a good thing.

Becherano: Yes, though it seems FIFA is already addressing certain issues. Pitch conditions will change for the 2026 World Cup, as FIFA opts for different grass installation methods and traditional 105m x 68m football field measurements. Though ticket prices, fan experience and media credentials should be improved, FIFA must first address the lack of in-stadium organization seen throughout the Copa América. The incidents between the Uruguay players and Colombia fans, as well as with fans forcing their way into the final and overcrowding Hard Rock Stadium, stand out as the most visible example — but on several occasions, teams were left unprotected behind the scenes.

Mixed zones felt overcrowded and haphazardly constructed, leaving players vulnerable to hundreds of journalists requesting answers. MetLife’s path to the mixed zone and player exit shared a hallway, forcing Tajon Buchanan, who was in a wheelchair due to game injury, to be escorted out without privacy as media walked next to him. The 2026 World Cup will require logistical rethink.

Hernandez: Where to begin? When it comes to field conditions, as outlined earlier in our reporting, FIFA must have more uniformity with pitch installations. In the stands, the Colombia-Uruguay semifinal and the chaos of the delays at the final were stark reminders of the improvements needed for security. In order to avoid excessive heat, even in some indoor venues where fans may not be able to avoid the weather in their travels, more late evening games must be considered in cities vulnerable to sweltering temperatures.

Additionally, it’s a very, very minor bone to pick when you consider the privilege that fellow media members have of attending these games, but things were also poorly run with the credential process and wait-list placement for many already in stadiums.

Kassouf: There are 100% things FIFA will look at that CONMEBOL did and realize it was a mistake. But I would say this: I think they already know plenty of these lessons. People hear FIFA and think all sorts of negative connotations — fair enough, given recent history — but I say this a lot: One thing FIFA does pretty well is logistics. Will there be hiccups in 2026? Of course. Especially with 48 teams for the first time. But CONMEBOL organized this tournament and, at least from our media touchpoints, they had issues that I’ve rarely seen in covering three World Cups on the ground. I’d expect a much better showing from FIFA in two years.

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Would you like to see Copa América become a fully joint tournament between CONMEBOL and Concacaf on a permanent basis?

Becherano: Yes and no. The tournament served as a great reminder that Concacaf must improve to compete with the best of CONMEBOL, but an official merge would complicate the calendar and integrity of Copa América. As Cesar says, a combined tournament may inspire CONMEBOL to turn this into a money grab situation by hosting only in the United States or North America.

From a purely football perspective, it was exciting to see CONMEBOL and Concacaf teams face each other in a competitive setting away from the World Cup. Maybe the answer is to alternate, a combined Copa América every four years with a purely CONMEBOL competition every two?

Carlisle: In theory, yes, I would like to see an expanded Copa América happen more frequently, but only if it’s accompanied by better, more professional organizing.

And amid all the problems seen during this Copa América, the question that I can’t shake is: Where was Concacaf in all of this? They were supposed to be partners with CONMEBOL in hosting this tournament. Instead, CONMEBOL basically patted Concacaf on the head and told it to go stand in the corner while they ran everything, seemingly ignoring the knowledge that Concacaf could offer in running events in the United States. And Concacaf acquiesced. “It’s CONMEBOL’s tournament” was the most frequent explanation I heard for this.

Suffice it to say, the organization of the tournament was a shambles. I don’t recall seeing near the number of problems when the U.S. last hosted the tournament in 2016, a tournament run by U.S. Soccer, it should be noted. I also don’t think CONMEBOL contributed much of anything in terms of growing the sport in the Concacaf region. Sure, some money might trickle down to Concacaf member associations. U.S. Soccer is getting a modest cut. But CONMEBOL basically took the money and ran, even as it did the bare minimum for hosting the event.

Both Concacaf and CONMEBOL, along with local organizers, need to do better, much better. This was driven home by the scary crowd situation outside Hard Rock Stadium for the final.

The benefits on the playing side are obvious, for the reasons Jeff Kassouf mentions. But the only way a combined Copa América should happen again is if Concacaf insists on — and is made — a more equal partner and is consulted much more heavily than it apparently was in this edition. At minimum, experts in running big events in the U.S. — and goodness knows there are a few — should be brought in to help.

Hernandez: Yes, but with a caveat. From a sporting sense, the best in CONMEBOL are still above Concacaf, but the North Americans would continue to be highly competitive in future editions. Let’s not forget, despite a poor showing from traditional powerhouses U.S. and Mexico, Concacaf still had two representatives in the knockout round. The caveat and only worry is that organizers would then want to frequently chase dollar signs and host more tournaments in the U.S., similar to what we’ve seen in the Gold Cup.

Kassouf: From a Concacaf perspective, I think it’s a no-brainer. The increased programming globally means it’s hard to schedule high-profile friendlies. Increasingly, that means playing more Concacaf games, and that can only be so helpful. Playing more frequently in a high-stakes tournament against Brazil, Argentina and other talented teams will help the U.S., Mexico and the rest of Concacaf in the long run.

Now, how does CONMEBOL feel about that? I think that’s the big question.