GOAL looks at which players will have the most on their shoulders in Copa America 2024

There’s nothing quite like an international tournament. The rarity of it all adds a layer of pure fun to such events. Every club season ends with a feeling of “We’ll get them next year” but there is no such feeling for international tournaments – national teams must sit in either glory or despair for a few years until the next one rolls around.

Because of that, legacies can often be defined in these moments. Hot streaks have lifted players to legendary status, while struggles in major tournaments have stained the careers of some of the world’s most talented players.

This summer’s Copa America will offer an amazing collection of stars. It features arguably the greatest of all time, a series of rising stars looking to prove they’re next up and multiple players with countries on their backs and trophy dreams firmly on their shoulders. There’s plenty of pressure to go around, and there will be plenty of stars feeling that pressure at Copa America 2024 in the U.S.

GOAL takes a look at the players under the most pressure at this summer’s tournament…

Vinicius Jr

Ballon d’Or loading? If Vini can add a Copa America to his resume, it may just be a formality.

The soccer world is too focused on the Ballon d’Or these days, largely waiting for someone to formally claim Messi and Ronaldo’s thrones. Vini is one of the candidates to do just that and, after his Champions League final heroics, he’s on the precipice of true superstardom.

His final test? The Copa America. With Brazil’s previous hero, Neymar, sidelined, the Real Madrid star has a chance to take over as the Selecao’s real leading man. Thus far, he’s largely been limited to a sidekick role with the national team but this summer the pressure is on.

He’s an incredible player, but is he ready to be the face of his country? If the answer to that turns out to be “yes” we’ll all look back at this summer as the start of the Vini era.

Christian Pulisic

He’s the face of American soccer and, at just 25, you could argue he’s accomplished more than any of the legendary names that preceded him in that role. Yet the question remains: is Christian Pulisic world-class?

His performances at AC Milan made one hell of a case, as Pulisic emerged from the mess at Chelsea to become a Serie A star. The American still has more to prove, though. Many will be waiting for him to put it on display in 2026 at the World Cup on home soil but, before that, this Copa America is a good starting point.

This past European season was the start of Pulisic’s rise, not the middle or end. If he wants to strengthen his “world-class” case, leading the USMNT on a deep run would make an impression.

Darwin Nunez

There isn’t a player in the world that divides opinions quite like Darwin Nunez. Is he a lethal chance-creator and chaos-maker, or is he a wasteful mess in front of goal that holds his teams back?

Folks in both camps are pretty entrenched in their positions, but one group will almost certainly get more evidence to boost their argument this summer. The Liverpool star is going to be key to Uruguay’s Copa hopes and, in a tournament like this, Nunez can’t afford to be as wasteful as he has been in the Premier League.

Uruguay are super talented and Nunez is one of the young guns leading the charge. You know he’ll get his chances, but his ability to bury those chances could mean the difference between success and failure for Uruguay this summer.

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Moises Caicedo

Caicedo looked set for superstardom last summer. Chelsea won the bidding war to sign him from Brighton, thrusting him into the spotlight at one of the world’s biggest clubs.

It’s way too early to label Caicedo a bust, but he certainly didn’t live up to expectations during his first season at Stamford Bridge. Now he’ll head into Ecuador duty with a point to prove to any detractors due to his Chelsea struggles.

Ecuador aren’t a superpower and their talent level is nowhere near the elite of this tournament. They are, however, a tough team to play against and, in Caicedo, they have a player that has the potential to be elite.

We’ll find out in coming years if he lives up to that potential but, at least for this summer, he’ll have a chance to become the latest player to flourish when freed from Chelsea’s shackles.