Uruguay vs Colombia

The 2024 Copa America final beckons for Uruguay and Colombia as they square off at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Uruguay were the only side at the 2024 Copa America to win all three group-stage games, alongside Argentina, yet they had to navigate a dramatic quarter-final tie against Brazil. After losing Ronald Araujo to injury and Nahitan Nandez to suspension, Marcelo Bielsa’s team stood firm in the shootout to secure their first semi-final appearance since lifting their 15th Copa America trophy in 2011. Buoyed by an eight-game unbeaten run in competitive action (W7, D1), La Celeste head into proceedings determined to avenge a heartbreaking quarter-final elimination against Colombia in the previous Copa America edition. A 0-0 draw in regulation that time is one of the three consecutive stalemates played out between Uruguay and Canada, bookended by a goal-glutted 2-2 affair in a 2026 World Cup qualifier last October.

In the meantime, Colombia romped into their third semi-finals across the last four Copa Americas with a scintillating 5-0 win against North American invitees Panama in the quarter-finals. It’s been a superb tournament for Nestor Lozano’s charges, as they’ve won three of their four matches on United States soil, except for a 1-1 draw against Brazil on matchday three. That’s the only blemish on Colombia’s free-scoring form at the tournament, as they’ve netted 2+ goals across their three remaining outings, averaging 3.33 goals per game. Colombia’s rip-roaring form at Copa America has extended their formidable unbeaten streak to 27 matches (W21, D6), which stretches back to February 2022. But on the downside, they’ve not outgunned Uruguay in regulation time since 2014 (D4, L2 since).