MLS leads the way with most players at Copa America 2024
Major League Soccer will be heavily represented at the upcoming Copa America 2024. The tournament is scheduled to start on Thursday, June 20th as reigning World Cup winners Argentina face Canada. The entire competition will play out across 14 cities in the United States. This is just the second time that the tournament is scheduled to be hosted by a nation outside of South America. Brazil previously hosted the last two iterations of the Copa America.
With just a couple of days to go before the start of the competition, a new report has sifted through every Copa America roster to determine which league is the most represented at the tournament. According to the review, MLS is tied with England’s Premier League for the most players in the prestigious competition. Both leagues will have 41 players competing in the summer tournament.
USMNT currently features just three MLS players for Copa America 2024
While a plethora of Copa America stars currently play at MLS clubs, not many of these players come from the USMNT. As hosts, the Stars and Stripes will compete at the tournament for just the sixth time. Just three Americans listed in Gregg Berhalter’s squad currently feature for MLS teams. This trio includes goalkeeper Sean Johnson (Toronto), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), and Shaq Moore (Nashville).
Canada, on the other hand, currently has the most MLS representation of any national team at the Copa America. Jesse Marsch’s new team features 14 total players on MLS rosters. Eight of these stars are currently on American clubs, with the remaining six featuring for one of the trio of Canadian MLS teams. In total, 21 of the 29 MLS clubs have players at the 2024 Copa America.
Leagues that have the most players at Copa America 2024:
41 – Premier League (England)
41 – MLS (USA/Canada)
35 – Liga MX (Mexico)
35 – Serie A (Brazil)
28 – La Liga (Spain)
23 – Serie A (Italy)
20 – Primera División (Bolivia)
16 – Primera División (Argentina)
16 – Liga FPD (Costa Rica)
13 – Championship (England)
13 – Primeira Liga (Portugal)
Bolivian side leads all clubs with nine players at tournament
Minnesota United and CF Montreal will each feature four players at Copa America 2024. This tops all MLS clubs. Yet, it is not quite enough to crack the top 10 clubs in terms of number of players at the tournament. For instance, Bolivian top-flight side Bolívar will have nine total stars at the tournament. All of these players will feature with the Bolivia national team. The USMNT will face off against the South Americans in their opening match of Group C on June 23rd.
Costa Rican side Saprissa and Liga MX giants Club America also have seven players each at the tournament. English top-flight team Fulham will feature five stars at Copa America 2024. Two of these players, defensive duo Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream, are currently on the USMNT roster. Berhalter’s squad is overwhelmingly based out of European clubs. For reference, 88% of the team currently plies their trade across the pond.
Clubs that have the most players at Copa America 2024:
9 – Bolívar (Bolivia)
7 – Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica)
7 – Club América (Mexico)
5 (Seven teams) – Herediano (Costa Rica), Fulham FC (England), Libertad (Paraguay), FC Porto (Portugal), Flamengo (Brazil), Always Ready (Bolivia), Universitario (Peru)
PHOTOS: IMAGO