The draw for the tournament took place on Thursday night in Miami where the final will be played on July 14. Jamaica was originally slotted in the group. However, the Reggae Boyz were moved over to Group B due to the rules involving two confederations. As a result, Costa Rica and Honduras will compete for the fourth slot in March.
The winner will then face Brazil in their opening match on June 24 in Inglewood, California. Brazil, who won the tournament in 2019 and placed second in 2021, was the designated top-seeded team in Group D but will play the tournament without star forward Neymar.
Neymar scored two goals for Brazil in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar before losing a penalty shootout against Croatia and exiting in the quarter final. Though without their primary scoring option, Brazil still has firepower in their attack. Forwards Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Richarlison will be expected to spearhead Brazil’s goal-scoring come June and July.
Neymar suffered a torn ACL and meniscus during a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay in October. Neymar underwent surgery on November 2 but is expected to be sidelined for at least a year to rehab the injuries. Before the injury, Neymar signed an astounding two-year, $300million deal with Saudi-based team Al Hilal.
Vinicius Jr. currently has four goals and an assist for Real Madrid while sidelined with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, club and country teammate Rodrygo has six goals and four assists for the Spanish side.
On the other hand, Richarlison has a goal and three assists for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Midfielders Casemiro and Lucas Paqueta have also proven their scoring abilities by netting goals in the World Cup. With host nation USA on top of Group C, the two sides could square off in the quarterfinals with a top-2 finish in their respective groups.
Brazil are currently the fifth-ranked team in the world while Colombia and Paraguay are 15th and 53rd, respectively. Costa Rica and Honduras, who will compete for the final group slot, are 52nd and 67th in FIFA rankings.
