The winner will be ...
Argentina . Lionel Messi may no longer be the best player in the world, but he’s still among the best players in this tournament. Pair his rote brilliance with a team who have proven their ability to win tournaments and you have a successful title defense on your hands.
Jon Arnold Argentina . There’s no doubt the winner will come from Conmebol, but picking between the best South American nations feels impossible. Still, Argentina’s squad is littered with elite players and I’m 95% sure Lionel Messi is still the best player at the tournament.
You could do a lot worse as far as deciding factors go. Joseph Lowery Argentina. Let’s face it – the team is stacked, experienced and thrive under pressure.
This could also be Messi’s last tournament as the captain of his national team, which is a nice bit of extra motivation. Julia Ranney Uruguay . Marcelo Bielsa has built a compact and competitive team who have a clear idea of what they want to do on the pitch.
No individual player rises above the others, so they each have an equal presence on the field that knits together seamlessly. No other country, except Argentina, have been South American champions as many times as Uruguay ; with the two countries holding 15 titles each. Raúl Vilchis The US will get to .
.. The quarter-finals .
The draw against Brazil in their final tune-up at least gives some evidence the Colombia blowout was a hiccup. But beating either of those teams, the most likely quarter.
