Lionel Messi and Argentina will be targeting the country's 23-year title drought when the Copa America Centenario kicks off on Friday after a troubled build-up marred by corruption allegations that threatened to derail the event.

A century after Uruguay clinched the inaugural four-team South American championship in Argentina, 16 teams from across the Americas are gathered in the US for a special one-off edition of the tournament.

The three-week soccer festival gets underway at Levi's Stadium in San Francisco on Friday when the US faces Colombia at the home of the NFL's 49ers.