Peru renews their longstanding rivalry with Chile when they begin the 2024 Copa America campaign at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.
The 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America kicks off with several blockbuster matchups and the Clásico del Pacífico is a tantalising introduction to the tournament as both Peru and Chile will be looking for a good start in Group A.
This football rivalry is a reflection of the geopolitical rivalry between neighbouring countries who are vying for recognition as the best team on South America’s Pacific coast, while they also compete for the rank of the fourth-best team on the continent after Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
Three of their most recent meetings in the FIFA World Cup qualifying series ended 2-0, with Chile winning two of those.
Peru is experiencing a dismal 2026 World Cup qualification campaign that has left them with two draws and four defeats as they sit bottom of the group.
The 2023 calendar year started with a defeat to Germany and a goalless draw against Morocco, Bryan Reyna’s goal decided a friendly against South Korea but Peru was thrashed 4-1 by Japan.
The 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign began with a 0-0 draw away to Paraguay but they lost the second home game 1-0 to Brazil. Chile scored two second-half goals to beat Peru on Matchday 3 while Argentina also defeated them by the same scoreline five days later.
Los Incas lost to Bolivia but ended their four-match losing run with a draw against Venezuela in November. Something needed to change after only scoring three goals throughout 2023 and Juan Reynoso was duly replaced by Jorge Fossati as Head Coach.
The Argentine who guided Universitario de Deportes to the Peruvian league title in 2023 has a massive job on his hands to restore some pride in La Blanquirroja.
The two-time Copa America winners have started life brilliantly under Fossati as they beat Nicaragua 2-0 and the Dominican Republic 4-1 in the first international break of 2024.
Copa America kicks off in June and Peru has a chance to rally to a stunning campaign after they reached the final in 2019.
A game against Chile is the perfect start to the competition in terms of motivation and preparation and they must harness that energy throughout the tournament.
Having missed out on the 2022 World Cup, Chile started 2023 with three wins and a draw from four friendly matches to prepare them for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The campaign began in September with a defeat against Uruguay and a tie with Colombia but they grabbed their only win so far in the home game against Peru.
A shambolic calendar year ended with defeats to Venezuela and Ecuador while they went scoreless against Paraguay. Chile appointed Ricardo Gareca as manager in January 2024 and he got off to a good start with a 3-0 victory over Albania before they came up short against France, losing 3-2 in another friendly.
They now begin the Copa America campaign against the only side they have defeated in the World Cup qualifying series and Peru will be coming up against the same man who led them for seven years until their failed 2022 World Cup qualification campaign.
The Argentine aims his former team in his first competitive match with Chile but there would be no pulled punches between Gareca and Peru.
La Roja clinched the Copa America trophy in consecutive editions in 2015 and 2016 and Chile will be making a return to international competition after missing out on the 2022 World Cup. It is pertinent that they do well this summer and an opening game against Peru is a chance to secure a good start in a group also containing Argentina and Canada.
A three-match winless streak without scoring a goal was ended against Albania and the Chile players must build on it to impress their new manager who will be looking to get them firing quickly.
Match tickets
This matchday 1 Copa America fixture takes place on Saturday, 22 June 2024 with kick-off scheduled for 1 AM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on the websites of both national federations and you can hurry to cop yours.
Given that there is a capacity of up to 100,000 at the AT&T Stadium, there is enough room to accommodate fans so both sides know they can be well-represented for what promises to be a special atmosphere. Supporters who are having a hard time purchasing tickets are advised to make a purchase for Peru vs Chile tickets on a ticket resale site.
Team news
Oliver Sonne and Erick Noreiga received their first caps with the Peru national team in March and they will look to play a role this summer.
For Chile, Ben Brereton Diaz was initially omitted from Gareca’s first squad due to his limited proficiency in Spanish but he eventually made two appearances off the bench. The forward likely improves his command of the language before the summer and he could yet play a part for La Roja given his qualities.
Line-ups
Fossati is favouring a 3-5-2 system in his time with Peru so far and he could well stick to it in the first game against Chile. The shape would allow them to be compact while having a direct channel to their dangerous forwards.
Peru: Gallese; Corzo, Abram, Callens; Lopez, Grimaldo, Quispe, Pena, Polo; Lapadula, Guerrero
Eduardo Vargas is a versatile option upfront for Chile either as an attacking midfielder or central striker. The Atletico Mineiro man opened the scoring against Albania in their international friendly and he could play a crucial role in another Copa America for his nation.
Chile: Bravo; Isla, Diaz, Sierralta, Suazo; Nunez, Pavez; Osorio, Vargas, Brereton Diaz, Sanchez
Prediction
Both sides are in similarly poor form overall but Peru have beaten Chile in three of their last five meetings, including a 3-0 victory in the 2019 Copa America semi-final. The rivalry between them would see the teams playing with full concentration but it takes a single error to open the game up.
The intensity of the match means it could be a spectacle, a draw could suffice on opening day but Chile would hope to win the battle of qualification to the next round.
Peru 2-2 Chile
