Canada's Soccer Journey: Battling Giants at Copa America 2024

The journey begins with a daunting challenge for the Canadian men's soccer team, eager to establish its credibility on the international stage: facing Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players in history.

Canada will make its debut in the Copa America tournament next Thursday in Atlanta against Messi's Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions.

The South American championship, featuring 16 teams, will be held from June 20 to July 14 at various stadiums in the United States.

Like the Euros, which kicked off on Friday, Copa America is one of the most significant events on the global soccer calendar.

"It's a massive tournament. It is the South American equivalent of the Euros. You're talking about nations of the calibre of Brazil and Argentina who've won, you know, the World Cup multiple times between them," said John Molinaro, founder of TFC Republic and a long-time Canadian national team reporter.

"This is a chance for Canada to sort of rub shoulders with some of the best teams in the world."

Ranked 49th in the FIFA world rankings, Canada is one of six CONCACAF qualifiers invited to the event, along with Mexico and the U.S.

With a largely unchanged roster from the World Cup, Canada will rely on international stars like Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Jonathan David (Lille), and Tajon Buchanan (Inter Milan).

After facing top-ranked Argentina, Canada will play No. 32 Peru on June 25 in Kansas City and No. 42 Chile on June 29 in Orlando to conclude the group stage.

Molinaro emphasizes the tournament's importance as Canada prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup.

"This is a great opportunity for them to sort of go up against the best teams in the world and possibly set themselves up for success in 2026," he said.

The tournament also marks the first international competition for new Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch, who succeeded John Herdman in October after Herdman took over as head coach for Toronto FC.

With a background in European club coaching, Marsch faced an immediate test with friendlies against top-tier teams, losing 4-0 to the Netherlands but securing a surprising 0-0 draw against France.

"To go up against the No. 2 team in the world and earn a draw in Bordeaux.... Considering Jesse Marsch has only been in charge for not even a month, I think it was an impressive result," Molinaro remarked.

Brendan Dunlop, co-founder of Canadian Soccer Daily and commentator for Canada's Copa America games, sees promise in Marsch's leadership. "They have someone that is a real tactician, someone that connects with players, that thinks differently about the game," Dunlop said. "He has already shown he can adapt on the fly, which is something that the Canadian national teams have been criticized for. I think you're going to see this team become even more exciting."

The Copa America matches will be fiercely competitive. On the opening night, Canada will face Argentina and Messi in what is believed to be his final international tournament.

"He does seem truly as motivated as ever," Dunlop noted. "I think everyone else is chasing and trying to match Argentina. So, it would be incredible for his legacy."

While Argentina and Brazil are clear favourites, Dunlop suggests that Uruguay and Colombia could also be strong contenders.

For Canada, the objectives are more modest.

After a quiet exit in the Qatar World Cup, where they lost all three games and scored only one goal, better results are anticipated in Copa America.

Though unlikely to win against Argentina, Canada aims to be competitive and could potentially advance beyond the group stage by beating Chile or Peru.

"They'll go and they'll make the country proud. It's definitely, definitely going to be a team worth watching and listening to," Dunlop concluded.