When two significant and important intercontinental football tournaments coincide and are to be played at the same time, it is hard not to compare them and point out differences and similarities between both.

The 48th edition of CONMEBOL Copa América was played in the USA, kicking off one week after the UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. With just a couple of matches in, it was already possible to identify the huge contrast between the two events' organization and management.

Copa América, from its opening game, was already distinguished by player complaints regarding the quality of the pitches, poor fan feedback, and even racism cases; on the contrary, the Euro emerged as a fun and engaging sport event where supporters from all over the world came together to enjoy the football experience at its fullest potential.

UEFA Euro 2024

The host country's fan-friendly attitude - which has been rooted into German sports culture since the 2006 FIFA World Cup - has a lot to contribute to the competition's success, especially from the public point of view. Germany's location in the center of Europe certainly influences - but the local football scenario is already favored and powered by treating the fans as valued stakeholders. The Bundesliga has a world-renowned reputation for fan culture, with supporter ownership, low ticket prices and an extensive community outreach.

The number of traveling fans is also one of the largest in the world, making sure that both home and away fans make their presence felt at any host city throughout the country. Furthermore, since 2012, the DFL (German Football League) and the German Football DFB (German Football Association) have been investing millions of euros in propelling fan work. Through its “Pool to Promote Innovative Football and Fan Culture” (PFiFF) program, the German League and the national football federation are able to promote projects that contribute to safety and innovation around the sport. With the hopes being to boost positive fan culture and give voice to the supporters.

The combination of these factors is what has built the positive local and international reputation of the German football landscape, and keeps on contributing to it, with a clear direct link to the current success of the Euro 2024.

It must be said that the tournament was not perfect though. There were complaints regarding logistics and transportation to the venues. Even Philipp Lahm, tournament director, was late for a game due to the poor efficiency of the country's train system, which is publicly funded and privately managed by Deutsche Bahn (DB). This is a recurring problem all over Germany and has just been more exposed by the Euro.

A few small-scale scuffles also took place in the stadiums, along with some long queues, but the situation seemed to ease as the competition went on and it was well controlled by security and tournament management. Some cities suffered more than the others, such as Gelsenkirchen, the smallest host town of the tournament, which found its train station overcrowded a couple of times and its few hotels struggling for vacancies.

Overall, it could be argued that the Euro 2024 was a very good sporting event. Most of the fans who attended - despite their teams winning or losing, having encountered a couple of rocks in the way or not - would agree with me. It will for sure be established as a benchmark on how to run a sporting competition, for mostly good reasons but also on how to manage any problems that may arise before, during and after the event.

CONMEBOL Copa América 2024

On the flip side of the coin, CONMEBOL have staged a frustrating, unsafe and challenging event for all parties involved.

The final game between Argentina and Colombia (July 14th), hosted at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami - FL, will be in the history books for the wrong reason. The lack of compromise of the tournament's organizers with its fans, athletes and staff members was clearly noticeable. The chaotic atmosphere at the entrances of the stadium created a chaotic atmosphere towards the people who were simply just trying to enter the venue. The uncontrolled situation led to a delay of over an hour to the start of the match. Outside the stadium, the crying and screaming of the people displayed a terrifying scene that would not be expected to take place at any type of event in the world. “It was inhumane,” stated Silvina to TyC Sports, mother of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

Prior to the grand finale, the semifinal between Colombia and Uruguay was the protagonist of another chapter of chaos in the 2024 Copa América's book of incidents. A huge brawl between fans from the two countries put everyone in attendance in danger, including the player's families, who were not offered a VIP area of any sort. Players from both sides eventually got involved in the midst of the chaos as they tried to protect their guests from the altercation. Although there were not many options on how to solve the situation, it was obvious in everyone's eyes that the police and the security team could have done so much more to appease the situation.

Problems on the pitch were no different than the ones outside of it. From weak marketing positioning, with misplaced advertisement signs and broken camera angles, to poor pitch maintenance and violent fouls.

The United States might have missed the chance to use Copa América as an opportunity to develop and grow the game of football in the region. The tournament has only confirmed the lack of preparation and experience the country has on hosting a football competition. It certainly leaves a big question mark for the upcoming tournaments that are set to take place in the USA in the next few years, one of them being the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Accessibility is another one of many elements that Copa América has left a lot to wish for. The average price of a regular match ticket was over US$200, with many tickets at its cheapest for US$100. Whereas, at the Euros, ticket prices were fixed, as group-stage entries ranged from €30 to €200 for regular seating, €50-250 for the Round of 16, €60-300 for quarterfinals, and so on.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the juxtaposition of the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 and the UEFA Euros 2024 highlights stark differences in the organization, management, and overall fan experience of these two prestigious inter-continental football tournaments.

While the Euros have set a reference for international tournaments with their emphasis on fan engagement, safety, and affordability, the Copa América has revealed many critical areas with a lot of room for improvement.

The contrasting experiences of these two competitions serve as a reminder of the importance of meticulous event planning and fan-centered policies in delivering successful and memorable events. At the same time, it puts into question the existing gap between European and Latin American football organizations, specifically the confederations, the main actors and tournament's organizers.