Women's Copa América: key facts about the tournament 🏆
The opening match is between the hosts and Uruguay.
Favored to win the trophy, Brazil seeks to become champions for the ninth time in the tournament's history.
Advertisement
The only time the country did not win the title was in 2006, when the Brazilian team lost the final to Argentina.
The main challenger this year is expected to be Colombia, which also boasts standout players and was the runner-up in the last edition in 2022.
SEE MORE: In search of the NINTH trophy: how Brazil arrives for the Women's Copa America
Check out the main information about the competition here on OneFootball:
Participants
The ten participating teams were divided into two groups with five teams each:
Group A: Argentina 🇦🇷, Chile 🇨🇱, Ecuador 🇪🇨, Peru 🇵🇪, Uruguay 🇺🇾
Group B: Bolivia 🇧🇴, Brazil 🇧🇷, Colombia 🇨🇴, Paraguay 🇵🇾, Venezuela 🇻🇪
Regulations
The five teams in each group face each other in a single round, totaling four games for each in this phase.
Advertisement
The top two teams advance to the semifinals, with the leader of one group facing the second-placed team of the other.
The two third-placed teams face off to determine the fifth place in the competition.
Important Dates
The Copa America starts this Friday, with the group stage running until the 24th (Group A) and 25th (Group B) of this month.
Brazil's debut takes place this Sunday (13), facing Venezuela.
In this group stage, the match of the team led by Arthur Elias against Colombia deserves special attention.
The two teams played the final of the last edition of the tournament, held in Colombia and won by Brazil with a 1-0 victory in the decision.
Advertisement
The semifinals will take place on July 28 and 29. The final is scheduled for August 2.
Highlights
Kerolin - Brazil | Manchester City
In great form, she has scored or assisted in Brazil's last four matches.
Marta - Brazil | Orlando Pride
At 39 years old, she remains a reference for the Brazilian team when on the field. She has already won the title in 2003, 2010, and 2018.
Linda Caicedo - Colombia | Real Madrid
At 20 years old, she was named the best player of the Copa America in 2022 thanks to her speed and dribbling skills.
Mayra Ramírez - Colombia | Chelsea
Coming off a season with three titles with Chelsea: Women's Super League, FA Cup, and League Cup.
Advertisement
Yamila Rodríguez - Argentina | Grêmio
Top scorer of the last Copa America with a performance that earned her a transfer to Brazilian football.
Antonia Canales - Chile | Levante Badalona
The goalkeeper stood out in the last Spanish Championship and succeeds Christiane Endler, a legend in the position for the Chilean national team.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
📸 NELSON ALMEIDA - AFP or licensors
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Radamel Falcao offered to this Spanish club
Radamel Falcao offered to this Spanish club At 39, Radamel Falcao has no intention of hanging up his boots just yet. Now a free agent after leaving Millonarios, the Colombian striker has reportedly offered his services to Real Murcia, according to ORM Sport. The Spanish club has even already sent him a contract offer. Falcao, nicknamed "El Tigre," is coming off a decent season with six goals to his name. His career conjures up memories of giants: Atlético de Madrid, Porto, Monaco, Manchester United, Chelsea, Galatasaray… Across his club career, he has netted 317 goals in 621 appearances and claimed 16 trophies. With the Colombian national team, he boasts 107 caps and 38 goals—a true icon of South American football. His arrival in Murcia would be a dream come true for the fans. But the deal remains complicated. The Spanish third-division side still needs to find a financially viable agreement. As for Falcao, he makes no secret of his desire: to play one last season in Spain and close the circle in a country where he once shone. The big question is whether this dream can become reality.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lamine Yamal is without question the best player in the world - Barcelona sensation scooping 2025 Ballon d'Or over Ousmane Dembele would be a huge win for football purists
If the voting process for the Ballon d'Or were truly fair, Lionel Messi would have 14 Golden Balls to his name instead of eight. The Barcelona legend was by far the best footballer in the world between 2008 and 2021, but had to concede defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo five times, and Luke Modric once, as the Real Madrid duo were rewarded for spearheading their team's unprecedented success in the Champions League. The generational rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo divided fans, with very little to separate the two superstars in terms of goal output, but there was always a huge gulf in quality. The truth is, Messi never had any equal. Even after being forced to leave Barcelona, the place he'd called home for 21 years, the diminutive maestro was able to claim a final Ballon d'Or after almost single-handedly inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar. Karim Benzema is the only player who can honestly claim to have beaten Messi to the award while eclipsing him on individual performance, having enjoyed a stellar 2021-22 season for Madrid while the Argentine struggled to settle in his first year at Paris Saint-Germain. For the most part, the system failed Messi, and there is now a chance that it will also fail Lamine Yamal on September 22. Barcelona's latest jewel, who has just inherited Messi's iconic No.10 jersey, will - if the betting odds are to be believed - have to watch Ousmane Dembele lift the Golden Ball in Paris on that day. The France winger is the overwhelming favourite for the 2025 prize ahead of the nominations being announced on Thursday after leading PSG to the treble, but Dembele wasn't better than Yamal last season. Like Messi before him, the 18-year-old is the purists' champion, and in an ideal world, he'd be automatically vaulted to the top of the podium. Numbers favour Yamal Let's get the raw numbers out of the way first: Dembele recorded 46 goal contributions for PSG in 2024-25, seven more than Yamal managed at Barca. Per 90 minutes, the France international also had a shot conversion rate of 17.4 percent compared to Yamal's 8.1%, created more chances (3 to 1.8), and posted more touches in the opposition box (9.2 to 7.5). Those statistics suggest that Dembele was more effective than Yamal, but further context is needed. Yamal played 4,548 minutes across all competitions, significantly more than Dembele's total of 3,286. The vast majority of those came in La Liga, too, which is a much more competitive division than Ligue 1. That is backed up by the fact that Barcelona only finished four points ahead of Real Madrid in the Spanish title race, while a whopping 19 points separated runaway French champions PSG and runners-up Marseille. Luis Enrique's side retained their crown with six games to spare, which should never happen in one of Europe's top-five leagues. Spain's Copa del Rey is also levels above the French equivalent, and Barca had to see off Real Betis, Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid en route to the trophy, while PSG beat lower-league sides Le Mans, Stade Briochin and Dunkerque before seeing off soon-to-be-relegated Reims to lift the Coupe de France. Dembele's exploits in the Champions League are, therefore, the main driver for his Ballon d'Or claim. He scored eight goals and laid on six assists in 15 appearances, which was enough to earn Dembele the Player of the Tournament award, but technically speaking, he didn't outperform Yamal. Barcelona's teenage sensation hit nine goals and set up 13 in two fewer games, and it could be argued that he was unfairly penalised for the Blaugrana's semi-final exit at the hands of Inter. Dembele myth debunked According to Opta, Yamal also boasted a higher dribbling success rate than Dembele (53.5% to 44.4%), and won more duels (8 to 3.5) per 90 minutes. That means not only was Yamal superior in one-v-one situations, but he also did more meaningful work off the ball, which goes some way to debunking the myth that Dembele was the most monstrous presser in the game last season. Consistency across the entire campaign must be factored in, too. Yamal stayed at the same incredibly high level all the way through, but Dembele didn't really explode into life until December, and was even dropped from Luis Enrique's squad for PSG's Champions League league-phase clash with Arsenal due to an apparent lack of commitment in training. As if all that wasn't enough evidence in Yamal's favour, Dembele was also second-best at international level. The 28-year-old only scored twice in seven appearances for France between September and June, while Yamal notched three goals and one assist in the same number of games for Spain. Crucially, it was Yamal who edged their 'Ballon d'Or play-off' in the Nations League semi-finals, as he scored a superb brace in Spain's thrilling 5-4 win against France after extra-time, while Dembele failed to get on the scoresheet after squandering several clear chances. Big game player "Today, Lamine made a statement. He proved he's the best in the world and deserves the Ballon d'Or," Spain boss Luis de la Fuente declared after Yamal's Player-of-the-Match display against France. In truth, that was just one of many similar statements Yamal made in the most important matches last season. Real Madrid were especially sick of the sight of the teenager by the end of May. La Masia's remarkable academy graduate scored in both of Barca's La Liga victories over their arch-rivals, as well as in their Clasico triumph in the Supercopa de Espana, while he also produced two assists against Los Blancos in the Copa del Rey showpiece as Flick's side ran out 3-2 winners after extra-time. Yamal found the net against top-six clubs Atletico, Athletic Club and Villarreal, too, while in the Champions League, he scored in each of the knockout rounds. It's normal for talented youngsters to freeze up on the biggest stage, but Yamal seems to relish it. "Obviously I know I am playing for Barca. I know the importance of that, but I don't think about pressure," Yamal told ESPN in April. "I play, enjoy myself... And that's all." That enjoyment was clear for all to see in Barca's 3-1 win against Benfica in the second leg of their last-16 tie. Yamal provided the moment of magic that broke the deadlock after just 10 minutes, humiliating two Benfica defenders with a delightful dummy after gliding to the edge of the box, before playing in Raphinha to score (albeit with what looked like a mis-hit shot). Benfica hit back with a quick equaliser, only to be undone by Yamal again, as the Spaniard cut in from the byline to unleash a sublime curling strike that nestled perfectly into the far corner of the net. Going away from goal with such a small target to aim for, it was the kind of effort most players would only dare to attempt on the training ground, but Yamal's audacity is his superpower. 'Cheat code' That remarkable finish against Benfica would have been worthy of winning Goal of the Tournament, but Yamal somehow managed to better it in Barcelona's semi-final clash with Inter. Barca fell 2-0 down inside 21 minutes in the first leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, and desperately needed a spark to get back into the game, which Yamal provided on his 100th senior appearance for the club. After shaking off a challenge from Marcus Thuram on the right flank, Yamal skipped past Henrikh Mkhitaryan and tiptoed into the penalty area. At this point, the wiry attacker was surrounded, but he somehow got off a shot without breaking stride, and it flew in off the post past the completely helpless goalkeeper Yan Sommer. In that moment, Yamal became the youngest player to score in the last four of the Champions League at 17 years and 291 days old, smashing Kylian Mbappe's previous record at Monaco. There were no remonstrations in the Inter defence afterwards, just a series of stunned faces wondering what on earth had just happened. It was a feeling they got used to over the next 65 minutes. Yamal didn't deliver any more decisive blows, but he was a constant thorn in Inter's side and practically every Barca attack went through him. He had more shots than anyone else on the pitch (six), completed more dribbles (six), and 17 of his 102 touches came in the opponent's box, the second-most in a Champions League semi-final ever, behind Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery against Real Madrid in 2015. Barca eventually battled to a 3-3 draw, and then-Inter boss Simeone Inzaghi expressed his relief at having survived Yamal's masterclass after the final whistle. 'I have never seen a player like Yamal in the last eight or nine years,' Inzaghi said to Amazon Prime. 'He is a phenomenon. We had to triple him and obviously, spaces opened up elsewhere.' Meanwhile, former Manchester United and Bayern midfielder Owen Hargreaves described Yamal as a "cheat code" in the TNT Sports studio, before adding: "I just want to see Lamine Yamal get the ball and everybody else get out of the way." 'Terrifyingly good kid' The "cheat code" wasn't enough in the second leg, though, as Inter prevailed 4-3 after extra-time. Barca dominated both games, but weren't clinical enough without the injured Robert Lewandowski, who was restricted to only a late cameo at San Siro after missing the home leg, and Inter ruthlessly exploited their defensive fragility. Yamal didn't deserve to be on the losing side. Even while being marked more tightly in Milan, he still racked up nine shots, 14 successful take-ons, and 11 crosses, which led Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni to send him a special message after the game. "Respect to our opponents – they showed incredible strength and heart," Bastoni said on social media. "And special mention to a terrifyingly good kid: Lamine Yamal, you're a monster." That classy tribute perfectly encapsulated the mood of pundits and supporters alike. Zinedine Zidane was among those to echo Bastoni's sentiments, saying: "I've never seen anything like that in my life. Just watch someone who has such a command of his craft on the pitch. It's fabulous to see." It's extremely rare to hear such lofty praise from the Real Madrid icon, and for a Barcelona player no less, but Yamal stirs up strong emotions in everyone who watches him play. He demands your full attention every time he gets on the ball, and often leaves you either smiling from ear to ear or shaking your head in disbelief at what he does with it. That's why Barcelona handed Yamal a new six-year contract after his 18th birthday that made him the club's highest-paid player, and why he should be officially recognised by France Football as the finest player on the planet. Chance to regain lost credibility According to co-organisers UEFA, "Individual performances, decisive and impressive character" are the first of three main criteria for which the Ballon d'Or is awarded, with "team performances and achievements" second and "class and fair play" third. If those rankings are in order of importance, Yamal has to win the 2025 prize. Dembele, as well as his PSG team-mates Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi, would all be deserving winners, as would Yamal's Barca colleague Raphinha, and Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah. But none of them showed more individual class or character than Yamal. The Ballon d'Or should be primarily about the eye test, and Yamal pushed the passing grade up to ridiculous new heights. In the words of former Barcelona midfielder Emmanuel Petit, Yamal "dribbles past players like it's the PlayStation and he makes defenders look like cones", which is exactly what Messi used to do in his pomp. Petit also suggested that Yamal "could become even better than Messi", and although that is a step too far, the teenage forward has already earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath as the current holder of the unofficial GOAT title. Yamal really was that good last season, and the thought of him missing out on his maiden Ballon d'Or just because Barca fell short in the Champions League doesn't sit right. There will be no repeat of the Madrid boycott after Vinicius Jr's 2024 defeat to Rodri if Yamal doesn't get the nod, but the award would regain a lot of lost credibility by recognising the singular brilliance of the Blaugrana's new fearless genius.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
🎮 Esports World Cup 2025: A global festival of gaming, glory and growth
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 is more than just a tournament — it's a revolution in global sports culture. Taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, through August 24, the seven-week EWC brings together 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries to compete across 25 tournaments in 24 of the world's most popular titles. With a record-breaking $70 million prize pool, the EWC is the largest celebration of competitive gaming the world has ever seen. At the heart of the EWC is its defining vision. As Ralf Reichert, CEO of the EWC Foundation, puts it in an exclusive interview with OneFootball, 'EWC's promise, why we exist, is to bring the best games, with the best players, to fight for life-changing prizes and crown the world's best club.' That promise comes to life through the EWC's groundbreaking cross-title Club Championship format — a first-of-its-kind battle where the best esports organisations earn points across multiple games, with the top team winning the coveted title of Esports World Cup Club Champion. EA FC Takes Centre Stage Among the EWC's flagship titles is EA SPORTS FC, the global leader in digital football. 'EA FC, being the clear leader in digital football, is obviously a dream game for that promise,' says Reichert. 'It has a special place because it connects the traditional sports world with the esports world.' With more than 25 years of history, EA FC has achieved something remarkable: 'It rallied the whole digital football world around it,' says Reichert. 'It has simulated the traditional sport and created a digital world for all of it, which is fantastic.' This year, EWC 2025 will host the Pro World Championship for EA FC in Riyadh, solidifying what Reichert describes as 'the partnership between the Esports World Cup and EA, to make this the most meaningful tournament that's out there — and a platform to grow that specific sport.' A Movement Backed by History and Vision Reichert's personal journey in gaming — from growing up with an Atari to founding one of Germany's earliest esports teams — mirrors the story of esports itself. 'We founded a team called 'Schroet Kommando' in June 1997 with a clear agenda: becoming the best in Germany, then Europe,' he recalls. That path led him to co-found ESL and, eventually, lead the Esports World Cup Foundation, which is committed to building a sustainable, globally inclusive future for the sport. 'Nowadays, no kid in the world grows up without playing video games,' Reichert explains. 'Everyone has a powerful console in their pocket called a mobile phone. So the access to esports has been dramatically increasing, and there's almost no barrier to entry — which is actually similar to football, and is part of the success.' This connection to traditional sport runs deep in Reichert's philosophy. 'Football is based on people playing with a ball… Esports is exactly the same. People play a video game, create competition, and people start watching — it becomes a mass phenomenon.' EWC 2025: Built for Players, Backed by Nations This year's Esports World Cup represents a new era for esports. For the first time, an entire country is embracing and backing the event at scale. 'Historically, we've seen this with the Football World Cup, the Olympics… politically endorsed and supported events,' says Reichert. 'The Esports World Cup is the first time that this happens at such a scale in esports.' That support is crucial. In Saudi Arabia, where the EWC is held, '70% of the people identify themselves as gamers,' notes Reichert. 'The target group itself is going to continue to grow over the next 10, 20, 30 years.' Boulevard City in Riyadh has become the epicentre of this cultural phenomenon, hosting not just the EWC competition but an immersive festival of fandom — from retro arcades to anime cafés, cosplay, live music, and creator meet-ups. It's a celebration of every corner of gaming culture. Stars on the Stage — and in the Stands The EWC isn't just attracting fans — it's attracting icons. 'Cristiano Ronaldo being one of the ambassadors of the Esports World Cup — that's the ultimate example,' says Reichert. 'He brings in a lot of eyeballs, a lot of credibility. And we couldn't be more proud.' This intersection of traditional and digital sports is exactly what makes EWC unique. 'There's much more overlap between football players and esports athletes than anyone thinks,' Reichert adds. 'Many players are amazing at the game, and fans of the game as well.' Looking Ahead EWC 2024 shattered records, with 500 million viewers and 2.6 million in-person visits. And Reichert is confident that 'this year will only grow.' With 3 billion gamers around the world, and hundreds of millions more football fans, the potential audience is staggering. Still, the heart of the event remains the same: the players. 'We talk a lot about the clubs, the ecosystem and the game,' Reichert says, 'but at the end of the day, it's always about the players.' And whether on the football pitch or in front of a screen, the lessons learned through sport endure. 'The EQ, the resilience, the idea that you can't always win… that tomorrow's a new game, a new chance — sport teaches you that very, very well. And esport is exactly the same.' The Esports World Cup 2025 is not just a tournament. It's the future of global sport — unified by technology, inspired by tradition, and driven by the passion of players and fans across the world. 📸 All imagery courtesy of EWCF
