Why can it be said that Europeans did not discover the Americas?

The most accurate reason for saying that Europeans did not "discover" the Americas is that Native Americans were already inhabiting the land in the Americas long before any Europeans arrived. The indigenous peoples had established diverse cultures, societies, and civilizations across the continent for thousands of years. Although European explorers like Christopher Columbus are often credited with discovering America in 1492, this perspective overlooks the existing populations and their histories. Therefore, the statement that "Native Americans were already inhabiting the land in the Americas" most directly supports the idea that there was no true "discovery" in the sense often implied by European narratives.