Copa America 2024: Norwich’s Josh Sargent, Watford’s Yaser Asprilla among Sky Bet EFL players in the United States this summer

The 2024 Copa America gets under way on Thursday night when Argentina face Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 48th edition of the tournament takes place between Thursday June 20 and Sunday July 14.

All 16 qualified nations were required to submit their final squad lists by the deadline on Saturday June 15, with the Sky Bet EFL represented by 16 players from six countries.

Here, we take a look at who they are…

Chile

Marcelino Nunez (Norwich)

Nunez is one of four Norwich players at major tournaments this summer – alongside Scotland’s Grant Hanley, the USA’s Josh Sargent and Panama’s Jose Cordoba – and comes into the Copa America having showed himself to be one of the Canaries’ key players during the Sky Bet Championship season.

The midfielder was called up by Chile for the 2021 Copa America, but did not make it off the bench and, despite the 25 caps he has earned since his debut against Colombia in September, he will be hoping to make his tournament debut in the USA.

Canada

Ismail Kone (Watford)

The Watford midfielder enjoyed a break-out campaign in 2023/24, featuring in all bar four of the Hornets’ Sky Bet Championship matches in his first full season after signing from CF Montreal in December 2022.

Kone – who turned 22 on June 16 – was born in the Ivory Coast and moved to Canada at the age of seven and made his debut for Les Rouges in March 2022. He played all three group games at the 2022 World Cup and has started both of the pre-Copa America friendlies – new head coach Jesse Marsch’s first games in charge.

Jamaica

Karoy Anderson (Charlton), Joel Latibeaudiere (Coventry), Kasey Palmer (Coventry), Amari’i Bell (Luton), Wes Harding (Millwall), Greg Leigh (Oxford), Coniah Boyce-Clarke (Reading), Di’Shon Bernard (Sheff Wed)

The majority of the EFL players going to the tournament are part of the Jamaica squad, given the Jamaica Football Federation’s successful drive to find more players with Jamaican heritage over the last few years.

Goalkeeper Boyce-Clarke has likely travelled for experience, with the 21-year-old unlikely to displace captain Andre Blake between the sticks and add to his one cap, seemingly like Harding, who has not featured for the Reggae Boyz in more than three years.

Meanwhile, Bernard has established himself as an almost guaranteed starter in defence since his debut last June, Anderson already has six caps despite not turning 20 until October, and Latibeaudiere – who played for England from U16 to U20 level – has 14 caps since his debut last year. The latter, however, missed the World Cup qualifying wins over the Dominican Republic and Dominica with a calf injury.

Three of the squad’s most senior players are also from the EFL, with Bell, Leigh and Palmer having amassed 39 caps between them over the last four years.

USA

Brenden Aaronson (Leeds), Ethan Horvath (Cardiff), Josh Sargent (Norwich), Haji Wright (Coventry)

Nine of the 26 players selected by Gregg Berhalter play their football in England – and four of those are on the books of Sky Bet Championship clubs.

Aaronson spent last season on loan at Bundesliga side Union Berlin and has 41 caps, while Horvath – who signed for Cardiff from Nottingham Forest in February – has nine caps, the last of which came in a 4-0 friendly win over Oman in September.

Sargent and Wright were two of the division’s standout frontmen in 2023/24, with 35 goals in all competitions between them and will be hoping to bring that form onto the international stage. The latter has re-established himself in the national team as a result, with three appearances and two goals in the last four, but the former has not played for his country since the 2022 World Cup.

Panama

Jose Cordoba (Norwich)

The 23-year-old centre-back is yet to play for the Canaries, with his signing from Bulgarian side Levski Sofia having been confirmed earlier in June – the first addition for new boss Johannes Hoff Thorup.

Cordoba made his senior debut for Panama in a qualification win over Canada in March 2022 and has earned 14 further caps for his country since, a figure that includes 11 starts in the last 11 international fixtures.

Colombia

Yaser Asprilla (Watford)

Asprilla does not even turn 21 until November, but has already played more that 120 club games and was an important part of the Watford team last season, having scored six goals and assisted eight more in 47 games in all competitions.

He has been part of the senior international set-up since his debut in January 2022 and has scored twice in five appearances, all of which have come from the bench, meaning the wait for a full debut goes on for the time being.