The rumored 2016 Copa America, which would reportedly be played in the United States and feature CONCACAF powers as well as South American countries, has been making the rounds for almost two years. But when a fresh report emerged this week claiming the tournament was a done deal, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati decided to enter the fray.
Apparently addressing the latest rumors, sparked by a BeIN Sports report, Gulati tweeted out a denial that carried a caveat.
#CopaAmerica 2016 in U.S.? Interesting idea but nothing agreed to by @ussoccer yet.
— Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) April 11, 2014
The key word in Gulati’s tweet is “yet”, which seems to suggest it could very well still be a possibility. For Gulati to address the report via Twitter is made even more interesting by the fact the tweet was only the eighth tweet ever posted by the U.S. Soccer president.
The rumored tournament would feature all 10 CONMEBOL nations as well as six teams from CONCACAF, with the U.S. and Mexico among the six. The event would be held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Copa America.
So what should we believe? At this point it sounds like the tournament is being worked on, but has yet to be finalized. If the tournament does happen, it will make for a special event, with American soccer fans having the chance to see the likes of Argentina and Brazil competing on American soil for a legitimate trophy.
What do you make of these developments? Starting to believe the 2016 Copa America in USA might actually happen? Won’t believe it until you see tickets go on sale?
Share your thoughts below.