The South American continental tournament of national teams, especially when it is reinforced by the best teams of North America, is a football masterpiece that cannot be missed if you consider yourself a true fan. These competitions are interesting to watch already at the group stage – for example, the second and fourth most likely contenders for this year’s title will meet in Quartet D.
If you like to make long-term bets based on the results of in-depth analysis, but are not ready to take reckless risks, immediately determining the winner of the entire tournament, make it easier – bet on the winner of the group at the America’s Cup. Bet lovers are advised to go to melbettr.app. If you rightly believe that the quartet D at the Copa-2024 is the most equal and the most interesting, pay attention to how the bookmakers themselves see the most likely contenders for the first place here.
Brazil – 1.35
It would be surprising if Brazil, in any Copa America group composition, were not considered favorites for the tournament as a whole. Actually, the penta-champions always claim the title, and not only within the borders of their native continent, but also on a global scale. This is one of the best national teams in the world – this is evidenced by five trophies at the World Cup and nine more at the Kopa, as well as the current fifth place in the FIFA ranking.
The huge problem for the Brazilians, however, is that they are in a pretty tight spot right now. The Pentakampeons have never lacked talented football players, but they still need a coach who will be able to unite them into a team and lead them to a common goal. Instead, Brazilian officials for some reason sincerely believed that Ancelotti was about to come to them (this is not a joke) – and for a whole year the team worked with an interim manager who did not even know when his authority would end.
The result of such frivolity is obvious – the fifth team in the FIFA rating is currently the sixth in the continental selection for the next World Cup. Once again: there are only four teams stronger than Brazil in the world, but at the same time there are as many as five in South America alone! Should we say that a team with the Seleção’s ambitions has no right to be so low? Even in spite of the fact that the expansion of the World Cup to 48 participants even under such a catastrophic situation allows you to go there.
In January 2024, the head coach was appointed, and for some it became a signal that the situation will improve from now on. The bookmakers have already reacted: they have Brazil as the second most likely contenders for the title, and who, if not the Seleção, will win Group D. We would not be so categorical – at the very least, we have to wonder what their rivals think of such high expectations from a half-assed team, the Colombians, who defeated the Brazilians in November 2023. After all, Dorival Junior is definitely not the star of the coaching staff.
Colombia – 3.75
Among other South American national teams, Colombia is one of the least successful. It has won the America’s Cup, but only once in its history, plus it has lost the final. At the world championships, the Colombians reached the playoffs twice, but did not make it to Qatar. In the end, even some Bolivia has achieved the same level of achievement, but no one considers it a serious force.
However, there is one “but”: the Tricolors look quite formidable right now. Let’s not say in advance that this is the strongest Colombia in a certain period, but it is worth paying attention to it. At the previous America’s Cup, the team came third, and it holds the same position (much higher than the Brazilians) in the current qualification for the next World Cup. The heavily defeated team is ranked 14th in the FIFA rankings, and has not lost a single one of the last ten matches, drawing a tie only three times!
Bookmakers could not help but react – they consider Colombia the fourth most likely contender for the title; however, this position has to be shared with Mexico. But in the group, the Colombians are considered potentially second, because the penta-campeons also got into quartet D. We do not share the blind faith that Brazil will immediately revive under the leadership of the new coach, although we do not rule it out. In any case, the Tricolors simply have to impose a fight in the group and go to the playoffs.
Paraguay – 12.0
Paraguayan fans hardly saw their favorites as contenders for the title, but they definitely grabbed their heads when they found out what their draw was. Two-time winner and six-time Copa América finalist are all real achievements of the Paraguay national team, but not of the current generation of football players. This team has more titles than their Colombian rivals, they reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, but in 2024, it looks like they will not be able to repeat even the achievement of the previous Copa in the form of exiting the group.
The 56th FIFA ranking team in the selection for the World Cup is only seventh – this step allows you to get into the intercontinental playoffs, but with ten participants, this indicates, rather, the weakness of the team. In the last ten matches, Paraguay had two wins and a draw, but all opponents are mediocre: victories were won over Nicaragua and Bolivia, and peace games were drawn with Peru and Chile. On the other hand, the current rivals, the Colombians, beat the Paraguayans twice – and are probably capable of doing it a third time.
Paraguay is not claiming the first place in the group – it would be happy with the second one. His hope is not so much Colombia, which on paper is the second strongest team of the quartet, as Brazil, which may not have time to get out of its protracted pique.
Conclusion
Group D has two real contenders for the top spot. Brazil is stronger on paper and no one would doubt their favoritism if they were at their best. However, the Seleção look vague right now, and it is not a fact that they will show anything. Instead, Colombia should look more modest, but at the moment it seems more stable and interesting. It is possible that the winner of the group will be determined in their face-to-face meeting.
