Not all Copa America 2024 teams come into the tournament in the same shape. Argentina has maintained the rhythm and currently stands at the top of the Conmebol World Cup qualifiers, with five wins and one loss. Uruguay (4-1-1) and Colombia (3-3-0) get to the tournament with some momentum, while Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Paraguay sit at the very bottom of the standings. Surprisingly, the Verde Amarela sits smack in the middle of the pack with two wins, one tie, and three losses. (Remember that only Concacaf teams must qualify for Copa America; all South American teams get in directly.)

Here’s the full Copa America 2024 schedule, how to watch Copa America en español in the US, and how to watch the whole tournament on Fox channels.

Mexico, the US, and Canada got a free ticket to 2026, so they don’t have to compete for a place for the World Cup. Of these three, the USMNT has an edge as the current champion of the Concacaf Nations League, when it defeated El Tri dos a cero back in March. The other three Concacaf teams in the tournament (Jamaica, Panama, and Costa Rica) seem poised to advance to the final round of 2026 qualifiers.

Here are the matches I think are worth your time in the Copa America 2024 group phase, and what I think the final stretch is going to look like:

ARGENTINA

Two reasons to watch all of the Albiceleste’s games: It is the current champion, and Lionel Messi! What other excuse do you need? But if you have to choose one, go with the first game against Canada, which has good discipline and fast, technical players.

Thursday, June 20: Argentina vs Canada (8pm ET / 5pm PT) – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

Tuesday, June 25: Chile vs Argentina (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Saturday, June 29: Argentina vs Peru (8pm ET / 5pm PT) – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

MEXICO

I like all of Mexico’s matches. El Tri always finds a way to complicate things and make games fun. But if you can watch only one, go for the head-to-head against Ecuador because fast teams always make Mexico work hard, resulting in entertaining games (which is Jamaica’s case, too).

Saturday, June 22: Mexico vs Jamaica (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Wednesday, June 26: Venezuela vs Mexico (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

Sunday, June 30: Mexico vs Ecuador (8pm ET / 5pm PT) – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

USA

The USMNT is the home team and is the current Concacaf Nations League champion. The game to watch is against Uruguay, which is performing well in the qualifiers.

Sunday, June 23: USA vs Bolivia (6pm ET / 3pm PT) – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

Thursday, June 27: Panama vs USA (6pm ET / 3pm PT) – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

Monday, July 1: USA vs Uruguay (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

BRAZIL

While I’ve included all three of Brazil’s games (it’s Brazil after all), the most interesting is the match against Colombia, which is yet to lose in the qualifiers.

Monday, June 24: Brazil vs Costa Rica (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

Tuesday, July 2: Brazil vs Colombia (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

Friday, June 28: Paraguay vs Brazil (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

The quarterfinals will be played on July 4, 5, and 6; the semis on July 9 and 10; and the Final on July 14 (if you’re like me, you’re skipping the third place match).

For the second round, I predict that Canada will edge Chile and Peru for the second spot in Group A (based on their dismal performance during the qualifiers and because I like the Canadians energy). The second “surprise” is Brazil in second place in Group D behind Colombia, who’s yet to lose during the qualifiers. I’ve placed Mexico on top of Group B because El Tri plays as a second home team in the US, and Ecuador and Venezuela are currently showing mixed results. And I see Uruguay ahead of Team USA because it currently sits in second place in the qualifiers. If this comes to pass, all matches look great, but especially Uruguay vs Brazil, and Colombia vs USA. Argentina should win against Ecuador, and you never know which Concacaf team is going to get inspired.

Potential matchups in the second phase:

Thursday, July 4

1A (Argentina) vs 2B (Ecuador) (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Friday, July 5

1B (Mexico) vs 2A (Canada) (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

Saturday, July 6

1D (Colombia) vs 2C (USA) (6pm ET / 3pm PT) – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

1C (Uruguay) vs 2D (Brazil) (9pm ET / 6pm PT) – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV