Five breakout stars from the 2024 Copa America: From explosive wingers to a slide-tackling sensation

International tournaments — where careers are made.

With eyes spread across two competitions this summer, club scouts have been sniffing around the Copa America to pick up performances that have slipped beneath the radar.

The Athletic have picked out five unheralded names who made their mark in the United States over the past three-and-a-bit weeks.

Jon Aramburu, Venezuela (21, Real Sociedad), right-back

Aramburu is nicknamed ‘El Bufalo’, and the moniker works.

There is something instantly likeable about the way this bustling full-back trundles down the flanks, a thick mop of hair bobbing on top of a squat, sturdy frame. He doesn’t tuck his shirt in, but he plays like a defender — steady, responsible, no-nonsense — who absolutely would.

Above all, Aramburu has defensive appetite. He’s a tough tackler who seems to relish the challenge of a tricky winger, a staunch ball-winner who enjoys digging in and defending his flank, be that the left or the right, with everything he has.

He made 26 tackles at the Copa America; nine against Mexico, six against Jamaica, and 11 against Canada. For context, no player completed more than 10 in a single Premier League game throughout the entirety of the 2023-24 season, a feat Aramburu almost boxed off in two of his first three competitive games on the international stage.

Wriggling past this full-back invariably involves a tussle. Aramburu is quite prepared to barge his way back into a footrace with arms, legs and shoulders. He also loves a slide tackle and put together a satisfying highlight reel as the tournament went on.

In possession, Aramburu carries the ball with that same intensity and drive, shuttling forward and bouncing from challenge to challenge. Only two Venezuelans completed more carries of 10 metres or more, while it was his burst into the box against Mexico that drew a penalty and the only goal of the game.

His offensive output has been low at club level for Real Sociedad, although there were glimpses of his crossing ability at the Copa America. Tap into that and there’s a full-back who can do it all.

Richard Rios, Colombia (24, Palmeiras), central midfielder

Appearing 37 times for Brazilian giants Palmeiras last season, playing an important role as they clinched a record-extending 12th domestic title, Rios was hardly an unknown quantity coming into this summer’s competition.

Even so, the dynamism and forward drive he has brought to the Colombian midfield has been a game-changer for Nestor Lorenzo, an injection of positivity to keep their staggering 28-game unbeaten run rolling on into Sunday’s Copa America final.

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On the right side of the midfield three, Rios is the zip to Jefferson Lerma’s brawn, the defensive bite alongside Jhon Arias’ tip-tapping feet. As a trio, they do the dirty work so James Rodriguez doesn’t have to, while also looking to get forward and combine with their talismanic No 10 as often as they can.

His energetic opening performance against Paraguay set the tone for his tournament, his touch map showing that he dropped deep to help build the play, drifted wide to combine with marauding full-back Daniel Munoz, created from the half-space, and looked to dart down the line himself.

Only Luis Diaz has attempted more one-vs-one carries than Rios this tournament, while his 16 progressive carries only trail Uruguay’s Federico Valverde from a midfield role. Able to duck and weave through pressure, he possesses that ability to propel his team forward with the ball at his feet.

He also unleashed a powerful strike against Panama, scoring his side’s fourth from all of 32 yards. It was no fluke either: check out his knuckleball free kick against Independiente del Valle in May if you have any doubts.

A midfielder who can do a bit of everything, he has added that bit of sparkle to an already flourishing side.

Maximiliano Araujo, Uruguay (24, Toluca), winger

“I think Maxi is an unrefined player who has got to where he is by luck,” said Marcelo Bielsa, taking the opportunity to ‘criticise’ the player sat by his side at the press conference. “And I didn’t even see him before I called him up. He was recommended to me.”

That’s where the joke fell through. Of course Bielsa, of all people, took the time to watch him.

“I like wingers who can tilt the pitch, play on the edge of their own box all the way up to the opponents’, put in plenty of crosses,” he continued, in earnest this time. It explains why Araujo made his international debut under Uruguay’s new manager and has only missed one competitive game, through injury, since.

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In a system that looks to flood the final third with players, stretch and overload the opposition before quickly attacking the spaces, a winger who can hold the width and be direct is crucial.

As we can see from the touchmap below, along with the fact that only Colombia’s Diaz and Araujo’s Uruguay colleague Darwin Nunez have racked up more touches in the opposition box, the 24-year-old is a reliable outlet who does not hesitate to drive into those dangerous areas.

Araujo announced his arrival at his maiden international tournament with a sumptuous curling effort against Panama while his second goal, against Bolivia, underlined the danger that his incisive forward running can create, particularly on the transition, by tearing into the box and squeezing a finish under the goalkeeper.

Starting his run long before Nicolas de la Cruz receives the ball, Araujo times his run to attack the blind spots in a backtracking Bolivian defence.

Another aspect of his game that Bielsa appreciates is his adaptability, having been deployed up and down the flank for Mexican side Toluca since joining in late 2022.

Data from smarterscout suggests Araujo has played 38 per cent of his minutes at left-back across the last two seasons, able to bring that defensive tenacity further up the pitch for his country.

He may not have arrived as the star name in the Uruguayan squad, but his all-action combination of focused channel-running and in-your-face intensity has quickly made him a favourite of manager and fans alike.

Patrick Sequeira, Costa Rica (25, Ibiza), goalkeeper

Talk about having big gloves to fill.

Costa Rica arrived stateside this summer averaging both the youngest (24.7 years) and the least-experienced (17.7 caps) squad, not helped by the sudden retirement of shot-stopper Keylor Navas a month out from their tournament opener against Brazil.

Against the odds, Los Ticos kept a clean sheet in a gritty 0-0 draw against the five-time World Cup winners as Sequeira made big saves to deny Raphinha and Guilherme Arana. Alongside 19-year-old Jeyland Mitchell, whose immaculate individual battle with Vinicius Junior has since earned him a move to Feyenoord, there were encouraging signs that the defensive spine of this team could recover without its legendary names.

Sequeira’s tournament wasn’t perfect — he conceded a rash penalty to Colombia after racing out of his box and taking down Jhon Cordoba — but his presence in goal was generally assured despite an unprecedented leap into the limelight. The 25-year-old plays his football in the Spanish third tier for Ibiza UD and even there he has had to battle for his starting berth.

At 6ft 2in (188cm) tall, Sequeira was able to command his penalty area; no goalkeeper claimed more crosses throughout the tournament. He was direct but generally confident with his distribution, with 83.3 per cent of his passes going long, a consequence of his team’s inability to control possession and build up from the back.

Reflex saves were where this shot-stopper made his mark, however, Sequeira producing a miraculous reach right at the death to preserve a hard-fought lead over Paraguay.

Costa Rica’s golden generation may be fizzling out with age, but their Copa America showing was one of defiance and character, propped up by a new, booming voice between the sticks.

There was anticlimax at every turn for the usually plucky Paraguay, who lost all three games at a Copa America for the first time in 99 years. For the neutral, too, there were disappointingly few glimpses of Sosa, an explosive wide player only able to show his quality in bursts.

Starting the first two games of the competition on the bench, Sosa only needed 10 minutes to make an impact against Colombia, dropping the shoulder and digging out a back-post cross for Julio Enciso to score. In the final group game against Costa Rica, he rifled home an unstoppable first-time drive, ending the tournament with a hand in two of his country’s three goals.

That ball-striking ability is one of the 24-year-old’s great strengths. He is able to consistently hit cleanly and powerfully through his shots on goal while cutting in from either side. He also tested Sequeira six minutes after his goal, this time thumping a left-footed effort towards the near post.

Pégale algo, RAMÓN 🎯 pic.twitter.com/xhqkW06Q3J

— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ (@CopaAmerica) July 3, 2024

Able to play on either flank, Sosa is lightning-quick, even if occasionally a little raw with his final product. Direct and fearless, he doesn’t think twice about crashing towards goal, with only four players averaging more than his 1.6 carries into the penalty area per game in the Argentinian top flight last season.

When Paraguay are bunkered in, his pace in behind offers a valuable escape route, as we saw against Colombia in World Cup qualifying below. Racing onto a long ball out of defence, powering around the outside of Davinson Sanchez before shimmying his way into a shooting position, he turns an aimless ball into a goalscoring opportunity, even if he should do better with the final finish.

Alongside the relentless Enciso, responsible for almost a third of his country’s 43 shots this summer, Sosa offers that something-from-nothing spark that can turn a game on its head.

His flashes of electricity throughout a drab Paraguayan campaign will have surely caught the attention of the biggest clubs.

(Top photos: Patrick Sequeira, left, and Richard Rios; Getty Images)