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News > Sport

CONMEBOL Rejects US Bid to Host 2020 Copa America Tournament

  • Flamengo's Gabriel Barbosa in action with Liga de Quito's Jose Quintero and Nicolas Freire.

    Flamengo's Gabriel Barbosa in action with Liga de Quito's Jose Quintero and Nicolas Freire. | Photo: Reuters

Published 14 March 2019
Opinion

Argentina and Colombia have instead been awarded the privilege of hosting the tournament, the oldest in international footballing history, next year.

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has rejected the United States’ proposal and awarded the 2020 Copa America tournament to Argentina and Colombia.

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The joint bid was accepted as a way of "bringing South American football to the fans" and would be subject to a more detailed presentation by both countries, CONMEBOL officials said in a meeting in Miami, Wednesday.

The next edition of the tournament, usually played by all 10 South American nations and at least two invited guests, is due to be held in Brazil in June. CONMEBOL intends to hold another Copa America the following year and then host it every four years thereafter to align with its equivalent in Europe, the European Championship.

The tournament organization has been haphazard of late. A 2020 tournament would be the fourth Copa America in six years after Chile in 2015, a special centenary edition in the United States in 2016, and Brazil in 2019. Argentina last held the tournament in 2011, while the most recent Colombia was a host was in 2001.

The United States had offered to host the tournament again in 2020 as part of an Americas-wide competition featuring not just teams from South America but also North America and the Caribbean. CONMEBOL, however, rejected the idea, opting to preserve the historic integrity of the tournament, the oldest in international football.

It "rejected expressions of interest and proposals received by the United States, Australia, and commercial agencies Dentsu and IMG," it said in a statement.

A source told Reuters that CONMEBOL would still extend invitations for the 2020 tournament to Mexico and the United States. The tournament is likely to have 16 participants, with two groups of four in both Colombia and Argentina. Each nation would host one semi-final and the final will be played in Argentina.

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