The must watch Chilean players who could play in CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™

 

• La Roja has heroes who already know what it means to win the tournament. 
• Chile will open the tournament against Peru on June 21 at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. 

The last time Chile were champions of CONMEBOL Copa América™ was in 2016, when the tournament was held in the United States. Eight years later, and with important experience from that golden generation, Ricardo Gareca’s team is hopeful of being a dominant team again. 

Alexis Sánchez 

 

The former wonderkid was born in Tocopilla on December 19, 1988, and at the age of 17, he made his debut for the Chilean national team. The high level he sustained over the years for La Roja is perfectly displayed in two records: he is the player with the most appearances (162) and most goals (51) in the history of Chile. 

Alexis has played in all five editions of CONMEBOL Copa América™, continuously between 2011 and 2021. On two of these occasions, he was a champion (2015 and 2016), and once was chosen as the best player of the CONMEBOL Copa América Centenario™, held in the United States in 2016. 

He has played 23 matches and scored 7 goals in the oldest national team tournament in the world. He also played in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. 

At the club level, Alexis Sánchez is coming off being crowned champion of Serie A 2023/24 with Inter Milan. His career includes titles in five different countries (Chile, Argentina, Italy, England, and Spain), and he has showcased his dribbling and scoring abilities in great teams such as: Cobreloa, Colo-Colo, River Plate, Udinese, Inter Milan, Marseille, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Barcelona. 

Eduardo Vargas 

 

Turboman was born on November 19, 1989, in Renca, and a few days before turning 20, he made his debut for the Chilean national team under Marcelo Bielsa. However it wasn’t until 2013 that he began to play regularly in the national team, with the 2014 World Cup in Brazil being his first major tournament with La Roja. 

The following year, he played his first CONMEBOL Copa América™ and scored four goals that helped led Chile to win the tournament for the first time in its history. The following year, he would participate in the tournament again, win it again, and end up being the top scorer with 6 goals during CONMEBOL Copa América United States 2016™. 

Vargas then played in the oldest national team tournament in the world twice more and added another four goals, positioning himself as one of the active players (alongside Lionel Messi and Paolo Guerrero) with the possibility of becoming the all-time leading scorer of the tournament. The Chilean has scored 14 goals, just three behind the historic Méndez and Zizinho. 

After two years without playing for the national team, Gareca’s arrival in Chile opened a new opportunity for the 34-year-old forward: he started in two matches managed by the Tigre and scored a goal in the debut against Albania. 

Vargas’s extensive club journey includes Cobreloa, Universidad de Chile – where he won the Copa Sudamericana – (both from Chile), Napoli (Italy), Grêmio (Brazil), Valencia (Spain), Queens Park Rangers (England), Hoffenheim (Germany), Tigres UANL (Mexico), and he currently plays for Atlético Mineiro in Brazil. 

Claudio Bravo 

 

Born on April 13, 1983, in Viluco, Bravo is another example of the great Chilean generation that seeks to regain prominence during CONMEBOL Copa América United States 2024™. 

He has played in 6 editions of the oldest national team tournament in the world and, like Sánchez and Vargas, was a champion in 2015 and 2016. He is the 10th player with the most appearances in the tournament (25 matches) and in 2021 (at 38 years old) he became the oldest player to participate in the tournament. 

In 2016, he was chosen as the best goalkeeper of CONMEBOL Copa América™, where he conceded only five goals throughout the tournament, in addition to saving the penalty from Lucas Biglia (Argentina) in the penalty shootout that decided the final. 

He was also the starting goalkeeper for Chile in their last two appearances in the World Cup: 2010 and 2014, reaching the round of 16 on both occasions. 

At the club level, the 40-year-old goalkeeper has shined at Colo-Colo (Chile), Real Sociedad, Barcelona (both from Spain), Manchester City (England), and he currently plays for Real Betis in Spain. He has won 20 titles, including a Champions League title with the Catalan team.