In search of their first Copa America title since 2011 and their 16th overall, Uruguay couldn’t be in better form to kick things off. Marcelo Bielsa has the team humming on all cylinders and even was able to get Luis Suarez to come back to the national team for one last ride after he previously retired from international play. Suarez will even have his old number nine jersey back as Darwin Núñez gave back the nine, taking up the number 19 for this tournament. While it’s something that may seem like a small gesture, these are the kind of vibes that can go a long way in ensuring success in an international tournament.
Here are our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, June 23 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida
- TV: FOX | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Odds: Uruguay -320; Draw +390; Panama +950
Storylines
Uruguay: While the team’s international standing has fallen over the years from a high FIFA ranking of five in 2019 to their current ranking of 15, but as they find balance under Bielsa, they’ve gotten back to their best. From chance creation to smothering opposition defenses, La Celeste will give Panama everything that they can handle and then some.
Panama: It has been an impressive rise for Panama and the experience that they’ll gain from Copa America will be important for the 2026 World Cup but they couldn’t have drawn a much tougher opening assignment than Uruguay to kick off Copa America. With a balanced midfield led by Adalberto Carrasquilla, Panama will do well initially with Uruguay’s press but as the game wears on, it will be too much to cope with.
Prediction
Núñez will kick off Copa America on the right foot by scoring a brace to pace the team to victory. Pick: Uruguay 2, Panama 0
