Summer 2024 was a time of excitement, heartbreak, shock, and general chaos for soccer fans all over the world, while both the European Championship (June 14-July 14) and the Copa America (June 20-July 14), the two largest soccer tournaments other than the FIFA World Cup, were going on simultaneously. Both tournaments saw a number of upsets, dark horses, and rising stars, and both events were widely enjoyed tournaments for the history books.
Americans have recently been more invested in the Copa America, which set records for being the most-watched Copa America in American TV history, with a whopping 1.4 million viewer count over the course of the tournament. Several American cities were host locations for the games, including Las Vegas, Atlanta, Charlotte and Orlando, which increased involvement and interest among American soccer fans.
The Copa America was also especially exciting due to the stunning amounts of individual records that were broken. Most famously, Lionel Messi, captain of the eventual champions Argentina, became the player with the most all-time appearances in the Copa America, shattering the previous record of 35 with his 39 appearances. Messi continues to thrill fans around the world with his freakish longevity, allowing him to continuously perform and dominate at a high level. Another player who broke records during the Copa America was goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, earning the title of the oldest player to appear in the tournament, playing for his nation of Chile at over 41 years and two months of age. As of Aug. 28, Bravo has officially retired from soccer, tying off his admirable career.
The Euro 2024 was additionally packed with broken records. While Messi was praised for his appearances in the Copa America, Ronaldo was at the center of many discussions during the Euros, becoming the first and only player to appear in six different Euro tournaments with home nation Portugal, the first of which was way back in 2004. He also extended his record of most Euro matches played to 30 games. Ronaldo’s Portuguese teammate, Pepe, broke the Euros record of oldest participant at 41 years old.
However, the main chatter concerning the tournament was surrounding Spain, the nation that went on to lift the trophy. From the start, Spain was “electric and fun to watch” Amir Sabnani ’26 says. While the whole team was making headlines, one name in particular was circulating the most: 17-year-old starboy, Lamine Yamal.
