Soccer-Bigger stakes, rising stars and Marta's return set the stage for Women's Copa America
(Reuters) -The best women's teams in South America will meet in Ecuador starting on Friday, when the 2025 Women's Copa America kicks off, with Olympic and Pan American qualification, regional glory and a shifting competitive landscape all on the line.
Despite Brazil's historic dominance, the tournament is now far more competitive, an improvement that even the region's most iconic player acknowledged.
Brazil great Marta, returning from international retirement for what could be her final continental appearance, said the level across South America has grown remarkably since she made her debut at 17.
"Women's football in South America was less developed, but Brazil was already ahead," Marta said in a recent interview for CONMEBOL. "Now it's fast, demanding. These young players pull me forward — mentally and physically — and I love that."
The record eight-time champions and reigning title holders arrive as favourites, with a squad filled with big names. None are bigger than Marta, who retired from international football after winning silver at the Paris Olympics and is preparing to lead the team one last time.
"If this is my last tournament, it's even more important to stay focused, to savour each moment," said the 39-year-old, who has won three Copa America titles.
"I want to make the most of this and, hopefully, win another one."
Group B rivals Colombia will also be ones to watch, led by Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo and Chelsea's Mayra Ramirez — key figures in the team's 2022 final run and progression to the 2023 Women's World Cup quarter-finals.
Argentina, in Group A alongside hosts Ecuador, boast unique bragging rights as the only nation to have beaten Brazil in a final, lifting the trophy in 2006.
They are buoyed by the rise of their domestic league and veteran midfielder Florencia Bonsegundo, who said that growing coverage is inspiring a new generation.
"Today there's more visibility, more girls who want to play. Before, we had (Lionel) Messi and (Juan Roman) Riquelme as role models. Today, the fact that girls have us is something beautiful," Bonsegundo told Argentine outlet DeporTV.
HIGH STAKES, FAMILIAR RIVALS
The tournament features 10 teams split into two groups where the top two sides from each group advance to the semi-finals.
The two teams that finish third in each group will face off for fifth place and the final spot in the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima.
The third and fourth-placed teams in the tournament will also secure their Pan American qualification, while the finalists earn a berth at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
If the Pan American hosts, Peru, finish between third and fifth place, the sixth-placed team will also earn a ticket to Lima 2027.
Adding extra incentive, the continental champions will face the European winners in the second edition of the Finalissima next year in Los Angeles.
CONMEBOL's move to make the tournament biennial — announced by president Alejandro Dominguez in 2020 — reflects a wider effort to grow the women's game in the region.
While Brazil and Colombia have made significant progress, other nations remain in early development stages.
With Olympic dreams and regional glory on the line, South America's finest are ready to deliver fireworks in Ecuador.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios and Angelica Medina in Mexico CityEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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