So far in the Copa America 2024, there have been 69 goals scored in regulation time across 39 matches. From deft touches breaking records to audacious efforts bearing fruit, this season has seen all sorts of goals.
Colombia, which will face Argentina in the final, is currently the side with most goals (12). A close second is Uruguay (11) which bowed out of the tournament in third place after beating Canada on Saturday.
Here are some of the best goals, both in skill and importance, of the Copa America 2024:
Folarin Balogun (PAN 2-1 USA, Group C)
USA’s quarterfinal chances were severely hampered after Panama pulled off a major upset to defeat the host 2-1 in the group stage. However, all wasn’t dull for the losing side.
Youngster Folarin Balogun had opened the scoring in the match by giving USA the lead in the 22nd minute with a thumping strike from the edge of the Panama box.
After playing a clumsy one-two with teammate and defender Antonee Robinson down the left flank, Balogun didn’t waste time and took it on the first chance to find the far post. The attempt hit the upright and went inside the net as an outstretched Orlando Mosquera — the Panama goalie — couldn’t do much.
Vinicius Junior (PAR 1-4 BRA, Group D)
After a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica in its Copa America 2024 campaign opener, Brazil’s frustration increased after Lucas Paqueta had missed a penalty in the 31st minute against Paraguay in the following match.
Winger Vinicius Junior was quick to his side’s rescue after he netted his first of two goals of the match in the 35th minute, a strike that was a culmination of a great team move.
It started with the Real Madrid player who played a short pass to club and Brazil teammate Rodrygo, who lays it off to Bruno Guimaraes. The midfielder saw Paqueta open at the edge of the box, asking for the ball, who then found Vinicius’s run inside the box, who skipped the goalkeeper and passed it into the goal.
Lautaro Martinez (ARG 2-0 CAN, Group A)
The tournament was opened with defending champion Argentina facing off against debutant Canada. Lautaro Martinez, the current frontrunner to pick up the Golden Boot with four goals to his name, netted La Albiceleste’s second goal of the night.
This goal was a result of patience, that involved 12 passes from the time the Argentines took the ball off their opponents. The ball travelled from the final third, to Emiliano Martinez, and finally to Lionel Messi who set up Martinez who passed the ball in between the goalkeeper’s legs to score.
Christian Pulisic (USA 2-0 BOL, Group C)
USA skipper Christian Pulisic didn’t waste any time to open his team’s account in the Copa America 2024 after netted a worldie in only in the 3rd minute against Bolivia on matchday one.
He received the ball as he was entering the Bolivia box, took the slightest of touches to create some space as a few red shirts tried to close in on him, and curled it towards goal. The attempt did find the Bolivian goalie’s fingertips but that didn’t do anything to change the ball’s trajectory.
Maximiliano Araujo (URU 3-1 PAN, Group C)
On matchday one, it was Araujo who opened Uruguay’s account with a brilliant strike against Panama.
Matias Vina received the ball from the midfield to pass it first time towards Darwin Nunez. However, Nunez left it for an unexpecting Araujo. The eventual goalscorer succeeded in collecting the ball, take a few touches to eye the goal, and let fly a left-footed shot into the top right corner.
Ramon Sosa (CRC 2-1 PAR, Group D)
Midfielder Ramon Sosa’s goal might have been just a consolation after Paraguay was trailing 0-2 after half time, but the 24-year-old will remember the strike for some time.
It was his teammate Mathias Villasanti who was trying to fend off some four Costa Rican players, but he somehow toe-poked the ball towards a free Sosa, who went first time and struck the ball perfectly to send it whizzing inside the net.
Salomon Rondon (VEN 1-1 CAN, quarterfinals)
What’s a tournament without a few audacious goals from the halfway line.
Venezuela’s Salomon Rondon got one of those to his name when he equalised for his side in the quarterfinals against Canada.
When Jon Aramburu cleared the lines after the ball got loose from a Canada throw, Rondon wrestled past a defender just ahead of the centre line, found keeper Maxime Crepeau way off his line, and went for the extraordinary. The strike took a bounce and made the top net bulge with a goal.
Luis Diaz (COL 5-0 PAN, quarterfinals)
Copa America 2024 finalists Colombia was at their finest when it met Panama in the quarterfinals, beating its opponents 5-0 to reach the semis.
One of the goalscorers was Luis Diaz who scored a similar goal to what Rondon netted against Canada, but from a closer range.
James Rodriguez being his sparkling best, played an early ball from a freekick to find Diaz onside, and the Panama keeper off his line. Diaz chested the ball slightly and chipped it over the goalkeeper’s head to score Colombia’s third goal of the night.
Lionel Messi (ARG 2-0 CAN)
The Argentine great has certainly scored magical goals in his long career, but his flick against Canada in the semifinals of the Copa America 2024 had a piece of history attached to it.
It was Enzo Fernandez’s shot that Messi flicked to guide into the net which made him the all-time second-highest goalscorer in international men’s football with 109 goals.
Ismael Kone (CAN 2-2 URU, third place match)
Midfielder Ismael Kone showed a great piece of athleticism against Uruguay in the third place match. A turning ball from Jacob Shaffelburg from the corner flag was not cleared by the Uruguayan defenders as it fell for Kone who scored with an overhead kick to bring Canada back into the game.
