In the 2024 Copa América opener, defending champions Argentina secured a solid 2-0 victory against tournament newcomers Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. This 48th edition of the Copa América is hosted in the United States, with matches spanning over the next three and a half weeks.
Argentina started aggressively, with Leandro Paredes nearly finding the net with a long-range shot that grazed the crossbar. Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was quickly called into action, thwarting Angel Di Maria’s close-range effort.
Despite Argentina’s early dominance, Canada had opportunities to take the lead. Tajon Buchanan, after a smart touch inside the box, misfired wide, and Stephen Eustaquio forced a sharp save from Emiliano Martinez. Alphonso Davies then squandered a rebound, sending it over the bar as Canada ended the first half looking dangerous.
Argentina, unbeaten in their last seven Copa América matches, broke the deadlock just four minutes into the second half. Lionel Messi’s precise pass led to a collision between Alexis Mac Allister and Crepeau, allowing Julian Alvarez to slot the ball into an open net.
Julian Alvarez almost doubled his tally moments later, but Crepeau managed to deflect his shot for a corner. The Argentine onslaught continued with Crepeau denying Messi, who missed a rare clear chance by lofting the ball over the goal.
Messi, making his record 35th Copa América appearance, eventually sealed the victory by setting up Lautaro Martinez for Argentina’s second goal in the 88th minute.
With this win, Argentina has now lost only two of their last 55 matches. They will face Chile next, giving them five days to rest. Canada, still seeking their first win against Argentina, must regroup quickly and aim for a result against Peru to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
