Lionel Messi got his medal and Argentina got its title, but CONMEBOL almost ruined it all: Winners & losers from Copa America 2024

Looks like Messi just about got his proper farewell, after all. It almost went so wrong for the Argentina captain, who had a relatively poor tournament. He only found the net once, and spent most of his time living on the periphery. Sure, his contributions off the ball were vital, but this wasn't a footballer in his romp grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck.

Still, his team rose up around him. Messi has bailed out Argentina so many times. And in what might be his last act in a major tournament, his teammates did the same for him.

This was supposed to be Vini's time. The winger had been electric for Real Madrid at the back end of the 2023-24 campaign, playing Los Blancos to a domestic-European double, and thrusting himself to the forefront of the Ballon d'Or conversation. Brazil, at the Copa America, seemed to be the logical next step.

Of course, it wasn't. Vinicius really only played well for one of the three games he appeared in, and after picking up a silly yellow card in the final group stage game, missed the quarterfinal (the Selecao lost on penalties.) He will have his moment in Canary yellow. It just wasn't meant to be this summer - and the Ballon d'Or might have slipped from his grasp as a result.

Did we all forget how good James is? Has he always been world class? Is this a late-career renaissance? Did he just have his best four weeks since 2014? Does any of that really matter?

Colombia wasn't that much of a surprise this tournament. Those who have watched could know that this is a very good team that hadn't lost in 20-plus games coming into the contest. What few could have called, though, is just how good James would be. The attacking midfielder provided six assists, won Player of the Tournament, and showed just how good he can be.

It has led to scattered rumors that he could get a European return. That seems unlikely. But, for now, it was a delight to see the renaissance of a talent that was always somehow untapped.

It seemed the end had been near for Berhalter for quite some time. There were serious questions coming into the tournament as to whether the oft-maligned manager was the right man for the USMNT job. A good performance here would have probably eased fears ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Instead, it went about as poorly as it possibly could have for the U.S. They were markedly poor in all three of their fixtures, went out in the group stage, and never really united the nation on home soil. Berhalter insisted in his final press conference that he could take the team to the World Cup. But it was clear that he needed to go. It's never pretty to see a manager sacked - especially one who clearly loves the job - but Berhalter was the inevitable casualty of a terrible tournament.

We move from the man who lost the USMNT job to the one who perhaps should have had it. US soccer had their opportunity to appoint Marsch last year, and after he took the Canada top job, Marsch went about the Copa America campaign with the vigor of a man looking to show the host nation exactly what they missed.

And if that was the aim, he has nailed it. Canada didn't exactly play spellbinding soccer, but they went on an unexpected run. They got out of a tricky group, beat a talented Venezuela side, and turned in a solid performance in what seemed like an inevitable semifinal loss to Argentina. Marsch, meanwhile, gets the validation of knowing that he can do more with this Canada side in a month than Berhalter managed with the U.S. in years.

Mexico endured a very poor tournament for a number of reasons. An inexperienced squad lacked the guts and guile to take on some of the world's big boys, while the older heads didn't show up at the right times.

In short, it all came down to Gimenez to make things happen for El Tri. And in that respect, the Feyenoord striker failed dramatically. He only managed 90 miniutes once, put just three shots on target, and failed to find the net across three games as Mexico crashed out of their group. Sure, the service was lacking. And yes, there were other issues for this young side. But the birth of a national hero was put on hold.

What a managerial appointment Bielsa was. The legendary Argentine took over a Uruguayan side in between generations, refreshed it, and took it within a few missed chances of a Copa America final. Uruguay wasn't necessarily the best side at the tournament, but they were certainly the most watchable, full of passion, pace and unexpected creativity.

There were admittedly fair concerns that Bielsa's high intensity pressing game might not translate to the national level - especially after he ran Leeds down into the ground in his last job in management. The reality could not have been more different. La Celeste were a truly excellent side, and with a young squad, are well-poised to compete in the 2026 World Cup - and beyond.

It may have been a great tournament for Canada, but the same can't be said for their best player. Davies endured a tricky season for Bayern Munich, struggling for both form and fitness and Bavaria.

And his difficulties followed him across the Atlantic. Davies enjoyed some solid spells in various contests, but never managed to piece together a full 90-minute performance. And when it mattered most, he went missing. His first big moment was a rather unfortunate one, the left-back picking up an injury in the semi-final and being forced off the pitch. There were few excuses in the third-place match, though, when Davies missed the decisive penalty in a shootout - seeing his side settle for fourth place.

His future is up in the air. Real Madrid are looming, and a new contract at Bayern seems unlikely. This wasn't exactly a summer for good vibes ahead of mass uncertainty.

Say what you will about the USMNT's failures, this was a big summer for soccer in the country. Yes, the home side were poor. Yes, CONMEBOL made some massive management errors in running the tournament (more on that later.) But the buzz around this tournament was palpable.

The biggest games were lined with fans of all nations. Argentina brought an immense following with them, so too did Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and even Brazil. Every game had a real intense feeling to it, fans in the United States as passionate as any in world football prior to any big match.

The same could be felt in bars and pubs around the country. Those without allegiances gathered to take in this tournament, TV ratings spiked in the U.S. and it became a hot topic in an otherwise quiet summer in American sports. The USMNT may have disappointed, but soccer is here to stay.

What more is there to say? When it was announced that the US would be hosting the Copa America in early 2023, CONMEBOL - the south American football federation - immediately went about taking charge. CONCACAF and U.S. Soccer were effectively pushed out of the way, soccer guests in their own nation.

The result was a disaster. The whole thing was horribly managed. From staffing issues, to training ground problems, to mass security concerns at the biggest games, the federation botched what should have been a wonderful celebration of the beautiful game. This is salvageable given proper leadership, but FIFA would be wise to learn from the CONMEBOL mistakes ahead of the 2026 tournament.

For so long, Lautaro has been searching for his signature international moment. He did a lot of missing for a long time for Argentina, repeatedly fluffing chances at the 2022 World Cup (and almost costing them a final win.)

Here though, he finally found his best on the international stage. Lautaro finished the tournament as top scorer, and scored the winning goal in the final to cap off a memorable summer. He still might not be a No. 1 striking option for his nation, but Argentina needed a hero - and Lautaro delivered.