Copa America hosts United States will face Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia in their group in next summer’s Copa America – and could face Brazil in the quarterfinals if they make it out the group.
Uruguay, coached by Marcelo Bielsa, was the one team coach Gregg Berhalter would have wanted to avoid but will play them last in their group – potentially with their place in the knockout stages already sorted by then.
Berhalter’s men begin the tournament at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on Sunday, June 23 against Bolivia.
Four days later they will be in Atlanta for the game against Group C rival Panama at the Mercedes Benz Stadium.
They round of the group in Kansas City, playing Uruguay at Arrowhead Stadium which could well be a playoff to avoid Brazil in the next round.
USA will play against Uruguay, Panama and Boliva in their Copa America group next summer
If they win Group C, they will then take on the runner up in Group D, out of what will almost definitely be a Neymar-less Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and a qualifier to be determined next year.
Elsewhere, Lionel Messi and Argentina will meet Peru and Chile in Group A, alongside a qualifier to be determined next year out of Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.
Brazil play Colombia and Paraguay while Mexico in Group B will play Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica.
The tournament will be a key yardstick for the US ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which it also hosts alongside Canada and Mexico.
Failure to get out of this group would be a disaster for Berhalter, even with Uruguay lying in wait.