Why There Will be No Extra-Time in Copa America Until Final

The 2024 Copa America will see no extra time in either the quarter or semi-finals thanks to a ruling from the South American football governing body. With the final eight set to commence on the 6th and 7th of July, teams like Argentina and Brazil will be hoping their superstars turn up as they look to either reclaim or retain the crown.

With the European equivalent already seeing two games stretch into the additional period, this will not be the case in the Western Hemisphere, as any games that finish level will instead go straight to a penalty shootout.

Extra-Time Only in Copa America Final

There has only been one tournament that has had extra-time for all rounds

Although it is common for knock-out games that end in a draw to go to extra time, that is not the case in the Copa America. Instead, tournament rules dictate that quarter-final and semi-final matches level after regulation time go straight to a penalty shootout. The third-place play-off also skips extra time. This means that the only knock-out round to use the additional 30 minutes is the final, which takes place on July 15th in Miami.

Whilst the majority of European fans may find this decision strange, it is actually commonplace for the competition. For the majority of Copa America’s history, which has been won by Argentina and Uruguay the most, extra-time has not been utilised after the group stage, except for in the grand finale.

Between 1995-2004, the same rule even applied for the final, with Uruguay and Brazil both winning tournaments in that period on penalties after the game finished all square after ninety minutes. The only tournament that saw the inclusion of extra-time in all knockout games was in 2011. However, this was widely criticised by fans and the usual state of play was reinstated by the time the competition returned in 2015.

Copa America 2024 Quarter-Finals

Brazil take on Uruguay in a clash of the titans

After an exhilarating group stage, the quarter-final fixtures have been drawn, revealing some captivating battles ahead.

Brazil will clash with fellow South American giants Uruguay in a highly anticipated match-up. Should Dorvial Junior’s side go on to win the entire tournament, they will join La Celeste in reaching double-figure victories in the competition. There is also a favourable draw for Colombia, as they take on Panama who got past the group stage for the first time in their history.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Argentina will kick off the knockout stages against Ecuador, as the world’s greatest player looks to make it back-to-back major tournament victories after the 2022 World Cup. That is followed by a match between Venezuela and Canada the following day. Canada qualified second in Group A, with American boss Jesse Marsch getting the last laugh over his homeland after they turned him down a year ago, only to be knocked out of the tournament at the first hurdle.