Copa America 2024: Canada vs Uruguay - Preview, Odds & Predictions

On Sunday, North Carolina's Bank of America Stadium will host the 2024 Copa America third-place playoff match between Uruguay and Canada.

La Celeste lost to Colombia in their round of 16 match, while Argentina eliminated the Reds in the semi-finals.

Canada x Uruguay Team News

The lone Canadian player not participating due to injury is Tajon Buchanan, a winger for Inter Milan who fractured his tibia during training and had surgery not long ago.

Jacob Shaffelburg will, therefore, stay on the left wing, although Marsch may use Richie Laryea, who is adaptable, instead of Alphonso Davies, who plays left back for Bayern Munich.

The offensive combo of Jonathan David (27) and Cyle Larin (29)—the top two Canadian goal scorers all-time—is anticipated to continue, while Jonathan Osorio and Samuel Piette, a midfield duo, will be vying for a spot in the starting lineup ahead of Ismael Kone and Stephen Eustaquio.

Rodrigo Bentancur is now questionable after his tearful first-half exit from Colombia match due to a leg injury. At the same time, Barcelona center-back Ronald Araujo is sidelined for the rest of the season with a muscle issue.

Due to suspensions, Guillermo Varela and Nicolas de la Cruz will not play in Sunday's match. According to several sources, Darwin Nunez, who was involved in the large melee with fans after the Colombian loss, may also face a ban.

Assuming Nunez is suspended, Uruguay's all-time top scorer, Luis Suarez (68 goals), may start up front. At the same time, right defender Nahitan Nandez, who served a suspension in the semi-finals, is ready to return to the lineup.

Head To Head And Previous Matches

In Tuesday's semi-final match, reigning champions Argentina defeated Canada 2-0, dashing Canada's aspirations of joining Mexico as the only CONCACAF team to reach the Copa America final.

Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi scored either side of halftime to end Canada's historic tournament debut, fresh off their quarterfinal penalty shootout victory over Venezuela. The Reds were relegated to a two-goal loss, identical to the one they endured in their opening group-stage encounter against La Albiceleste three weeks ago.

Although they were unsuccessful, head coach Jesse Marsch thinks his team can still be proud of their performance since it was "way better than any of us could have scripted"—they advanced further than CONCACAF rivals Mexico and the host country U.S.A., in addition to five-time world winners Brazil.

Canada will want to build on their successful Copa America event before co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, with the objective being to move from the group stage. Marsch is "optimistic about what the future can look like" for Canada.

Canada, ranked 48th in the world by FIFA, is entering and finishing in third place at the Copa America. However, they must win their next match against Uruguay, a team they lost to 2-0 in a friendly in September 2022.

In Wednesday's heated semi-final match, Uruguay lost 1-0 to a tenacious Colombian team that fought back despite being reduced to 10 players for the entirety of the second half. Uruguay had a perfect record in the group stage, scoring nine goals and allowing only one. They showed their defensive prowess in the quarterfinals by defeating Brazil on penalties.

Crystal Palace teammate Daniel Munoz was sent off in the first-half stoppage time, but Colombia took the lead in the 39th minute thanks to a goal by Jefferson Lerma. After halftime, Uruguay had an additional attacker on the field. Still, they failed to convert the advantage, going scoreless for the second game in a row after their scoreless draw with Brazil in the previous round.

Unethical behavior spoiled the game when Darwin Nunez climbed into the stands to get into an altercation with fans full-time. Along with COMNEBOL's statement "strongly condemning" the "acts of violence" and the commencement of a full-scale inquiry, some Uruguayan players have said that they were defending their loved ones during the violent conflict.

While Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguayan squad was aiming to win a record-tying 16th Copa America this summer and set up a final matchup with Argentina, who have also won the tournament 15 times, they will instead have to get ready for their 15th third-place playoff.

La Celeste, rated fourteenth in the world by FIFA, will feel confident heading into Sunday's match. They have won nine out of their past fifteen third-place playoffs, although they have lost three of their last four, including a 2007 match against CONCACAF team Mexico.

Our Predictions

Uruguay to win @1.58 on Sky247.ng.

Having suffered crushing semi-final losses earlier this week, both teams will be eager to salvage a positive finish to their Copa America campaigns.

The odds of Uruguay winning Sunday are high, even if they won't be playing at full strength. Bielsa has the talent to lead his team to victory.

Elevate your betting experience with Sky247 Nigeria. Join now and discover a thrilling world of sports, live events, and exclusive bonuses. Bet with confidence on your favorite teams and games.