The 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America is less than a week away from the opening kickoff, and it has a new twist: There are now six spots for teams from the CONCACAF federation! For fans in the north, this is particularly exciting, as it means Canada will be participating for the first time in its history, with a relatively nearby commute to the United States.
Let’s dive into how Canada got here and how far we can expect them to go in the tournament.
Canada to Advance to Group Stage (Boosted from +192)
Canada Joins The Pack
While the six CONCACAF teams helped Canada find some room to qualify, it wasn’t guaranteed. After all, a similar setup was tested in 2016, and in that cycle, the spots instead went to the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Haiti, and Panama. This time around, Canada was able to qualify in Haiti’s place.
Canada qualified through its performance in the CONCACAF Nations League, which was set up for this purpose. Their ranking within CONCACAF meant that they had to win just one matchup to qualify — either the quarterfinal matchup that they received a bye towards or a consolation match against one of the other quarterfinal losers. That consolation setup proved valuable, as they lost to Jamaica in the quarters on an away goals tiebreaker but defeated Trinidad and Tobago with two second-half goals, securing their entry on the last day.
Since then, the Canadians have played two friendlies to warm up, both within the past week. They didn’t tread lightly with their opponents either, opting to face two European powerhouses in the Netherlands and France. The first game against the Dutchmen started fairly evenly contested before the Netherlands took over the second half, scoring four goals in 33 minutes. The France game still lacked offensive execution from Canada, but the defence held up much stronger, ending in a world-shocking 0-0 draw. While France didn’t play their strongest 11 all game, most of their top names played, including a second-half sub-in for megastar Kylian Mbappe, who was among many who couldn’t solve Maxime Crepeau.
While Canada needs to figure out how to create quickly, producing a defensive result like that against one of the best nations in the world is an inspiring way to close the friendly cycle. Given that the tune-up matches were new head coach Jesse Marsch’s first with the country, the hope is that they’ll be able to build upon the rest moving forward.
How Far Can Canada Go In Copa America 2024?
| Team | FIFA Rk | Win Group A | Advance | Win Copa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 | -455 | -2000 Yes / +1300 No | +180 (1st) |
| Chile | 42 | +610 | -110 Yes / -122 No | +3400 (8th) |
| Canada | 49 | +1250 | +195 Yes / -263 No | +9900 (T-11th) |
| Peru | 32 | +1350 | +225 Yes / -303 No | +8400 (T-9th) |
Being happy to be here is well and good, but as a nation learned during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, that excitement wears off the second the action starts and you begin to crave something greater. The Canadians couldn’t provide us with that last time, and the odds are somewhat against them again in this tournament as the lowest seed in the FIFA World Rankings among their Group A frenemies.
Winning Group A is a relative pipe dream, as Canada has the “fortune” of being placed with the top country in the world right now, Argentina. Lionel Messi will again lead the defending World Cup champions, with players like Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, Marcos Acuna, and Emiliano Martinez supporting and ready to maintain their nation’s glory. Not only are they favourites to win the group, but they are also favourites to win the whole tournament.
Canada does have some hope of advancing through the group stage if they can land in the second spot. Chile and Peru are both favoured over Canada but remain within striking distance. They’re in a very good position if they can steal a win against either, even with an expected loss to the Argentines. Get a win and a draw, or if all goes just right, two wins, and you’re in cruise control.
For those who believe in Canada’s chances of moving on, Betano is currently offering a boosted bet, increasing their current odds of +195 to qualify for the knockout stages to +235.
Team Canada Copa America 2024 Roster
| Pos | Player | Club | Pos | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Maxime Crepeau | Portland Timbers | MF | Ali Ahmed | Vancouver Whitecaps |
| GK | Dayne St. Clair | Minnesota United | MF | Mathieu Choniere | CF Montreal |
| GK | Tom McGill | Brighton & Hove Albion | MF | Ismael Kone | Watford |
| CB | Derek Cornelius | Malmo CF | MF | Samuel Piette | CF montreal |
| CB | Moise Bombito | Colorado Rapids | MF | Stephen Eustaquio | FC Porto |
| CB | Kamal Miller | Portland Timbers | FW | Tajon Buchanan | Inter Milan |
| CB | Kyle Hiebert | St. Louis City FC | FW | Tani Oluwaseyi | Minnesota United FC |
| CB | Luc De Fougerolles | Fulham | FW | Jacob Schaffelburg | Nashville SC |
| CB | Joel Waterman | CF Montreal | FW | Jonathan David | LOSC Lille |
| FB | Richie Laryea | Toronto FC | FW | Cyle Larin | Mallorca |
| FB | Alphonso Davies | Bayern Munich | FW | Jacen-Russel Rowe | Columbus Crew |
| FB | Alistair Johnston | Celtic | FW | Theo Bair | Motherwell |
| MF | Jonathan Osorio | Toronto FC | FW | Liam Millar | FC Basel |
The Canadian Copa America 2024 roster was officially announced on Saturday and has already undergone one change, with forward Junior Hoilett dropping out due to injury and centre-back Joel Waterman taking his place.
The squad features 15 players returning from Canada’s World Cup roster from 2022, or a little over half the roster. It’s also a good spread of talent with prior experience, with one goalkeeper, six defenders, four midfielders, and four forwards around to carry past lessons onto the newcomers.
Those who follow along with MLS action will also have lots to recognize with this team, with 13 players making their careers in the U.S. or Canada, including six members of Toronto FC, CF Montreal, or the Vancouver Whitecaps (along with a handful of formers).
Canada’s biggest names – Davies, David, Larin, Buchanan, and Eustaquio – all return to try to push the nation to new heights.
Canada Player Props in Copa America 2024
Betano is carrying a wide variety of 2024 Copa America player props, with several Canadians available in their respective specialty markets. None of them are seen as favourites, with even the best Canadian bets often looking like longshots, but here’s who stands out in that regard. As a fan of Eustaquio’s, I got a pretty good kick out of him being taken to be a little hot-headed out there:
| Player Prop |  | Player Prop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan David – Most Goals | +5900 | Alphonso Davies – Most Assists | +3900 |
| Jonathan David – Player of the Tournament | +19900 | Alphonso Davies – Player of the Tournament | +19900 |
| Stephen Eustaquio – Most Cards Recieved | +3900 | Alphonso Davies – Most Goals + Assists | +9900 |
Several Canadians also have props available for their own personal lines, which you can find below:
| Player Prop | 1+ | 2+ | 3+ | 4+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan David – Goals | -333 | +135 | +450 | +1500 |
| Jonathan David – Goals Via Header | +550 | +7400 | N/A | N/A |
| Cyle Larin – Goals | -263 | +165 | +600 | +2000 |
| Alphonso Davies – Assists | +115 | +650 | +3400 | N/A |
Canada 2024 Copa America Schedule
| Date | Away Team | Odds | Home Team | Odds | Draw odds | Kickoff(ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 20 | Argentina | –303 | Canada | +975 | +450 | 8:00 p.m. |
| June 25 | Peru | +200 | Canada | +160 | +225 | 6:00 p.m. |
| June 29 | Canada | OTB | Chile | OTB | OTB | 8:00 p.m. |
In a weird way, Canada’s schedule here is almost a blessing in disguise. They’ll be part of the tournament’s first game Thursday against Argentina, getting the toughest game in their group out of the way immediately. Preparing against the class of the tournament before shifting full focus to the two games more within your range could prove very valuable moving forward. If they somehow manage to steal a point or three against Messi and friends? Well, the sky is the limit.
