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Argentina and Chile to meet in Copa America group stage

The trophy of the Copa America Centenario 2016

Argentina will face defending champions Chile in the group stage of the centennial Copa America this summer.

The pair met in the final last year with Chile emerging as 4-1 victors in a penalty shoot-out to win the tournament for the first time and extend Argentina's 22-year title drought.

They have been drawn in Group D of the 16-nation tournament along with Bolivia and Panama.

The participating coutries are seen on a screen in their groups during the draw for the Copa America Centenario
Image: Sixteen teams will compete at this year's Copa America

Hosts USA were paired with 2014 World Cup quarter-finalists Colombia and Costa Rica, and also Paraguay, with two teams emerging from each group.

USA's match against Colombia on June 3 kicks off the tournament, which has been expanded by four teams and is being staged outside the South American CONMEBOL nations for the first time.

Brazil are in Group B along with Ecuador, Haiti and Peru while Jamaica, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela make up Group C.

USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said he is looking forward to facing Colombia, ranked eighth in the FIFA world rankings.

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Lionel Messi of Barcelona
Image: Lionel Messi of Barcelona has committed to playing in the tournament

"Colombia is just exciting," he said. "We played them one-and-a-half years ago in London and we had them right on the edge, and then we gave an easy goal away right at the end. But it was an even game for 90 minutes. It's going to be cool.

Argentina's Lionel Messi has already committed to playing and organisers hope that Brazil's Neymar, Luis Suarez of Uruguay and Chile's Alexis Sanchez will also be among the world's top players to compete in an Olympic year.

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