While preparations for the tournament have been thrown into disarray with a switch from Argentina and Colombia to new hosts Brazil just 13 days before it was set to begin, and COVID-19 infections continuing to rise, teams may be relying on young players more than ever.
An intense forward who plays the game at high speed with aggression, he’s yet to find his perfect position but will probably end up as a roaming striker or a left-winger for Paraguay.
The centre-back made his Argentina debut in the World Cup qualifier against Chile on June 3 following an excellent season for Atalanta, where he usually lined up in the middle of their back three as the club finished third in Serie A.
Agile and quick off the mark, he covers a lot of ground with effective pressing, while the dynamic central midfielder has also shown he can score from outside the box.
While Yerry Mina and Davinson Sanchez look to be the first-choice pairing in the heart of the Colombia defence, Cuesta could make his senior debut as a backup at the Copa America.
A naturally fit and athletic defender, he’s also good in the air for a full-back.
Ocampo was called up to the Uruguay squad on the back of a good run of form for his club and his ball-progression skills, mixed with sky-high confidence and a great long-range shot, make him a potential wildcard coming off the bench.
The Brazilian club have already agreed to sign him permanently in 2022 and Palacios was called up to the senior Chile set-up after a fine 2020 season where he was named the second-best player in the Chilean league.
He made his debut back in 2018 but was called up again for the recent World Cup qualifiers and played the full 90 minutes against Brazil.
He always draws a lot of fouls and is still inclined to try and go it alone too often, but his exceptional natural talent has triggered keen interest from clubs across Europe after Manchester United landed winger Facundo Pellistri from the same club in 2020.