Brazil vs Costa Rica live updates: 2024 Copa America match team ...
26' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
More chances for Brazil as Raphinha fires a volley that's saved by Sequeira from point-blank range, before Guimaraes goes down in the box and wants another penalty.
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25' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Whether or not it's intentional, it's fantastic to see Brazil coach Dorival Junior channeling the great Mario Zagallo with his matchday attire. He's gone for the fully baggy tracksuit and even the colour scheme — white up top, blue joggers — is pure 1998.
23' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Vinicius Jr goes down under contact in the Costa Rica box and appeals for a penalty but the referee isn't having it.
Replays show the contact was shoulder-to-shoulder.
22' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Costa Rica pile bodies forward in an attempt to maintain some rare pressure on Brazil's defense, but when they turn the ball over the break is on.
Vinicius Jr darts down the left flank before centering the ball for Paqueta, but he doesn't make great contact with his ensuing shot and the chance passes by.
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17' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
It's wave after wave of Brazil attack at the moment. Costa Rica have hardly had a touch in their offensive half.
As I write this, they do launch one of their first real forays forward, but the ensuing cross hits a teammate and the move quickly ends.
12' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Rodrygo bursts into the box and fires a shot across the face of goal that just barely misses catching the far post.
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11' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
We've already seen several switches of play from both teams (Raphinha the first for Brazil) that have been overhit and gone straight out of play the other side. It's almost as if the pitch isn't as big as they're used to playing on (which is the case).
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9' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Vinicius Jr advances down the left flank before whipping a cross into the six-yard area for Rodrygo, but it's trajectory is too close to Sequeira in Costa Rica's goal and he comfortably claims it.
6' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
It's Rodrygo through the middle at the start of the game for Brazil. He and Vinicius Junior switched around a bit in the pre-tournament friendlies, though, so expect a bit of rotation. It will also be interesting to see the extent to which they gravitate towards the left flank, which has been a feature of recent games.
Stuart James
4' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Brazil are dominating the ball here in the early going as you'd expect, moving it from side to side as they look for an opening in Costa Rica's defense.
So far, the few times they've thrusted forward Costa Rica have easily repelled them.
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1' Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Costa Rica get the ball rolling and we're underway in California!
The national anthems have been sung, players are shaking hands, nearly time for kickoff now!
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Stating the obvious here, but this is a very, very big stadium.
With less than 10 minutes to go before kickoff, I'm going to stick my neck out and say we'll be a way from full capacity. Lots of Brazil shirts, as you would expect, but there is a very respectable Costa Rican contingent in the stands as well.
Here's hoping for a good atmosphere.
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Marquinhos will be playing in his 16th career Copa America game for Brazil tonight. Since 2000, only Dani Alves (19) and Thiago Silva (18) have made more appearances for Brazil at the tournament.
Marquinhos has been one of Brazil's best players during CONMEBOL's qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, leading all players in passing accuracy at 96% (min. 200 pass attempts).
Jack Lang
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James Rodriguez was the star of the show in Houston, with the 32-year-old former Real Madrid man creating both of Colombia’s goals in a well-deserved 2-1 win over Paraguay.
Colombia have not won the Copa America since 2001 but are one of the favourites to lift the trophy this summer and took the lead when Daniel Munoz nodded in James’ superb cross.
Colombia’s captain registered his second assist of the game 10 minutes later when Jefferson Lerma headed home his dangerous free-kick.
Paraguay did pull one back when Brighton & Hove Albion forward Julio Enciso scored after the break, but Colombia held firm and extended their unbeaten run to an incredible 24 matches.
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Hello from the SoFi Stadium. Brazil's starting line-up is as expected, with Guilherme Arana — once, briefly, of Seville in La Liga — selected ahead of Wendell at left-back. Eder Militao partners Marquinhos in central defence and the remainder of the XI is the one deployed against England at Wembley in March.
That means an all-Premier League midfield of Bruno Guimaraes, Joao Gomes and Lucas Paqueta, who plays despite the growing storm over about his alleged breach of betting regulations.
Much like South America’s club competitions, the Copa America has an enduring mystique.
That is down, in many instances, to a simple lack of familiarity. To fans in Europe, and even North America, South American football only fully gatecrashes the footballing consciousness when the World Cup rolls around every four years. The in-between times are often obscured by a combination of time zones, broadcast rights and apathy. There are, after all, enough games to keep up with already without having to navigate blurry illegal streams at 2am.
More’s the pity, for the continent’s biggest tournaments are not just festivals of football. They are factories for narrative and nonsense, churning out more storylines — and, yes, punch-ups — than your average TV soap opera.
Step this way, then, for five strange-but-true tales from the annals of Copa America history…
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Copa America’s five weirdest stories: Blackmail, three missed penalties and a ‘chilled ball’
