Copa America is beautiful history

Now they have their sights on the coming set of World Cup qualifiers - and the Copa gives them a perfect opportunity to prepare. Of course, once the action kicks off in Argentina and the adrenalin kicks in, everyone will dream of lifting the trophy on 24 July.

But the priority is to emerge from the competition with a battle-hardened squad ready to fight for a place in Brazil in three years’ time. That is why everyone is at full strength in the Copa - or as near full strength as injuries allow.

That does not mean that there is nothing at stake over the next few weeks. Some coaches may be fatally undermined by what happens in this year’s Copa, while others will have their prestige significantly boosted. And, of course, there is pressure on Argentina to end an 18-year wait for a senior title in front of their own fans. But the interest lies in the observation that the preparation is part of the process; some of the big storylines for 2014 start now.

And there is another aspect to the Copa. It is also an excellent opportunity for the host nation to invest in its football infrastructure. Argentina, like most recent hosts, is using the competition to combat the problem of excessive centralisation, the historic imbalance caused by the domination of Buenos Aires.

The capital will only stage the final. Everything else is in the provinces, from La Plata just down the road, to Santa Fe and Cordoba in the heartlands, Mendoza and San Juan near the border with Chile, and Salta and Jujuy to the north.

And the tournament comes at a fascinating moment, when teams from the provinces are beginning to raise their profile - a point emphatically proved by River Plate’s relegation at the hands of Belgrano of Cordoba, Argentina’s second city, which has always punched below its weight on the football field.

The 2011 Copa and its decentralising consequences count as history in the making - it will be worth putting on 20 layers of clothing to witness it at first hand.