By Humberto Viera
15 Jul 2024, 10:43 AM EDT
Despite losing in the final to Argentina, James Rodríguez was recognized as the best player of the 2024 Copa América. The captain of the Colombian national team shone throughout the tournament, being the brain of the team and providing six assists out of the 12 goals scored by the coffee growers.
James, who inherited Lionel Messi’s MVP title from the previous edition, was back to his best form in this competition and stood out for his quality in the distribution of play. The Colombian attacking midfielder also received the fair play award for his national team.
For his part, Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez was awarded as the best goalkeeper of the 2024 Copa América. The Argentine goalkeeper was once again crucial in the success of the Albiceleste, which has won a Copa América (2021), a World Cup (2022) and another Copa América (2024) in an unforgettable cycle.
“El Dibu” shone especially in the final against Colombia and became the hero of the quarter-finals by saving Argentina in the penalty shoot-out against Ecuador.
The goalkeeper only conceded one goal in the entire tournament and kept a clean sheet on five occasions.
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