The 2024 Copa América will take place in the United States and will feature the 10 South American teams from Conmebol and 6 guests from Concacaf, both confederations reported this past Friday. They also agreed on other initiatives in club and women’s football. Both institutions will assume the organization of the traditional South American tournament, which will be held in the summer, after Ecuador gave up hosting it.
The upcoming Copa América will serve as a prelude to and preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States will co-host with its neighbors Mexico and Canada. According to the joint statement, the 6 invited countries of Concacaf (Confederation of North and Central America and the Caribbean) will qualify for this competition through the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League.
The United States, Mexico and Canada could thus have an important competitive preparation for the 2026 World Cup, since as organizers they are exempt from playing the qualifying qualifiers. Both Mexico and the United States are currently in the process of choosing a new selector.
In 2016, the United States already organized and competed in the special edition of the Copa América Centenario in which other Concacaf teams such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Panama participated. Chile prevailed in the final match of that edition on penalties against Argentina, which was led by Lionel Messi. The albiceleste team will return to the continental tournament next year holding the title of world champion they just achieved in Qatar 2022, and also as monarch of the Copa América that they won in 2021, at the Maracana stadium against the local Brazil by 1-0.
The 2024 Copa América was scheduled to be held in Ecuador, but the South American country resigned from the organization last year due to the social situation and the lack of adequate sports infrastructure. Within the framework of the agreement between both confederations, a “final-4” format club competition will also be organized, in which the best squads on the continent will participate. The 4 participating teams (2 from each confederation) will qualify through the existing club competitions, and the first edition of this tournament could be also held in 2024.
Women’s Gold Cup will also be included
Another of the agreements will involve collaboration in women’s soccer, since Concacaf will invite the 4 best teams in South America to play the new Women’s Gold Cup in 2024.
That tournament will also be held in the United States and will feature the participation of Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay. “Conmebol and Concacaf are linked by historical and affective ties. But above all we are united by the passion, characteristic of all America, for soccer and sport. We are determined to renew and expand our joint initiatives and projects”, Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez said in the statement.
“We want this passion to translate into more and better competitions, for soccer and its values to grow and strengthen throughout the hemisphere. Undoubtedly, both confederations believe in big and we will work with this orientation”, he affirmed. “This association is to support the continued growth of men’s and women’s soccer, both in Concacaf and in Conmebol, and it will really be mutually beneficial for both Confederations”, said Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf.
