It was billed, enthusiastically, as a World Cup warm-up. The 2024 Copa América, staged in the United States, was seen by some as a dress rehearsal. It arrived, audaciously, in Atlanta, then Dallas, then 12 other U.S. cities, as a fútbol fiesta. It also felt like an appetizer for the grandest sporting event on Earth — the men’s World Cup, which is coming to North America in 2026, bigger and more bombastic than ever.
But over four messy weeks, the Copa América unraveled. On Sunday, it collapsed into chaos.