Copa América 2020: more questions than answers

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A little more than a year after its celebration there is nothing definite heading to the Copa America 2020

If four years were left to organize the Copa América it would not be a matter of concern, but a year left from the event there is still no venue for the 2020 edition, therefore there are no concrete infrastructure plans, commercial agreements, or participants, because although the FIFA allowed CONCACAF to be invited, it seems not enough to have a substantial deal.

Leer en español: Copa América 2020: con más dudas que respuestas

Headquarters, a headache

Conmebol would hardly have thought of the past in taking the Copa América from South American soil, but the economic success of the 2016 Centennial edition, carried out in the United States, has made it rethink its position. Therefore, when FIFA allowed CONCACAF teams to participate in the Copa América and also match the calendars with the European Championship, the possibility arose that the confederation of the north aspired to host the main Conmebol event.

The Mexican press has welcomed this possibility, Mexico has long dreamed of hosting the Copa América, although the special edition of 2016 was awarded to the United States. If they can not aspire to be the seat of individual form, the Mexicans will seek to be together, repeating the formula that gave them the headquarters of the World Cup of 2026: join the United States, and Canada says the newspaper This.

Real Madrid and all the money they had spent on defenders

According to the Mexican newspaper, the cup would serve as the first joint trial before 2026. But, Argentina also needs to make merits to be the headquarters of the 2030 World Cup along with Uruguay and Paraguay. The Nation reported a few days ago that Alejandro Dominguez, president of the Conmebol, considered the option of North America to support the candidacy of the Argentines. As a chessboard both sides move their pieces, CONCACAF cannot impose anything in a Conmebol event, but it can press through the economic, the only thing that keeps them in the competition.

The Nation highlights as an advantage the fact that Argentina hosted the tournament in 2011, and that infrastructure is still present. However, the reality is that the three most influential countries in CONCACAF have the infrastructure practically ready to carry out the competition. The Goal site mentions another possible candidate, that of Bolivia-Paraguay, this last ally of Argentina heading to 2030, for which the headquarters does not yet have a specific destination.

"If today we had to make the decision, Argentina is the only one interested in organizing the competition, in the next two months the determination will be made, and when the competition that is coming to Brazil ends, we will announce where the next one will be," said one source. of the South American soccer organism according to quotation the Argentine Popular newspaper, which would confirm the support towards the Argentineans.

Temporary or definitive return?

In CONCACAF, particularly in Mexico, it is not yet known if the return to Copa América will be temporary or definitive, because regardless of where the tournament takes place, relations between CONCACAF and Conmebol are not at their best, there are more discrepancies than agreements, the clubs in North America are still out of the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, with no return date and at the national level, things do not seem to get any better.

2020 is assured the participation of Mexico and the United States, if the event is made with the same format as the Centennial edition, the teams from the north could be six, what happens from here to the Brazilian Cup will be crucial to define the future of the relations between both confederations. Conmebol will need the votes of CONCACAF to obtain the headquarters of 2030, while the Americans need the level of competition of the South Americans, there are many movements still on the board that are about to be defined.

LatinAmerican Post | Luis Angel Hernández Liborio

Translated from "La batalla entre Conmebol y CONCACAF que deja más dudas que respuestas"