Messi continued to play from the start in the match against Chile. He contributed to the only goal of the match scored by striker Lautaro Martinez in the 88th minute, helping the home team to quickly secure a place in the quarterfinals after 2 wins. This match set a record with 81,106 spectators attending, the most of any major sporting event in the US since the beginning of 2024. This figure also surpassed the record-breaking match in EURO history between Spain and the Soviet Union in the 1964 final with 79,115 spectators attending the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid (Spain).
Messi brings endless inspiration
AFP
MetLife Stadium sets record with 81,106 spectators attending due to the attraction of famous player Messi
Of course, the scale of organization between Copa America and EURO is different. But thanks to the association with the CONCACAF region (North, Central America and the Caribbean), South America's top football tournament is getting bigger and closer to the prestigious tournament in Europe.
The Copa America combining CONCACAF teams to increase the number of participating teams to 16 is only the second time in history (after the first time in 2016, also held in the US), while EURO has increased to 24 teams since 2016. In the future, the cooperation between the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and CONCACAF (which has signed an agreement) can completely help Copa America officially increase the number of participating teams to 16 as it is now, to increase competitiveness and improve the scale of the organization like EURO.
This is further reinforced when Copa America 2024 is taking place across the US, attracting nearly 500,000 viewers after just 10 group stage matches, averaging nearly 50,000 spectators per match. This figure is almost equal to the average of 51,926 spectators per match at EURO 2024 (EURO 2024 has a total of more than 1.6 million spectators after 32 matches as of June 26).
The most watched match at EURO 2024 so far was Austria's 3-1 win over Poland on June 21 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin with 69,455 spectators. Meanwhile, at Copa America 2024, the attraction of the famous player Messi helped the two matches with Argentina in the group stage sell out and have more spectators than the most watched match at EURO 2024. Specifically, the opening match, Argentina won Canada 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 21 with 70,564 spectators, and the latest match (June 26) as mentioned above.
Other matches at Copa America 2024 also attracted large audiences, such as the Mexico vs. Jamaica match on June 23 with 53,763 spectators, the Brazil vs. Costa Rica match with 67,158 spectators, or the Colombia vs. Paraguay match with 67,059 spectators (both took place on June 25).
On the other hand, Copa America is still not comparable to EURO in terms of playing conditions, where there are fields with grass and standard football dimensions. Partly because most of the fields in the US hosting Copa America are mainly for American football matches (NFL) with large capacity, but use artificial turf. They only cover the natural grass a few days before Copa America starts. Many teams have complained about these unsuitable playing conditions. Currently, the Copa America organizing committee has to urgently improve the grass to meet competition standards.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nho-messi-copa-america-so-ke-ky-luc-khan-gia-voi-euro-185240626202951846.htm
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