Top Stories

CONCACAF president Montagliani: Joint Copa America talks ‘beyond preliminary’

Photo by Adam Hunger/USA Today Sports

The Copa America Centenario was a financial success, and it appears CONCACAF and CONMEBOL could be on their way to another tournament.

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani says talks for another joint Copa America are “beyond preliminary” with the earliest potential joint tournament coming in 2020. According to ESPN, U.S. Soccer is open to hosting again after making $46 million in profit from hosting the tournament.

“We’ve had those discussions with CONMEBOL because I think it makes sense,” said Montagliani told ESPN FC. “We’re not talking about joining the confederations, but I think it behooves us to take a serious look at having another combined tournament.

“The discussions aren’t at the final stages or even halfway, but it’s beyond preliminary.”

However, Montagliani admitted that would be challenges. The federations would need to settle on dates within the FIFA calendar while also consulting players on their preference.

“It’s not as easy as saying, ‘Hey, let’s have a tournament.’ There are a lot of moving parts,” said Montagliani. “How does that affect our own Gold Cup, how does it affect their Copa America? Their next Copa America is in Brazil in 2019. Our next Gold Cup is in 2017 and then again in 2019. Nothing will happen before that, but I think there are some serious opportunities there after 2019.”

Comments

    • The idea of competing for WC slots with conmebol is awesome yes. That sort of competition would eventually up our game. But I can’t see that ever happening because of the travel involved.

      Reply
      • that’s a silly reason… all these guys fly in already. Travel would be minimally more than what it currently is. i.e. you would simply set it up with 2 home or 2 away games during a week. Home means US playing in the US/Carribean OR Brazil, say, playing in Brazil or elsewhere in South America… and away being the reverse. Still the same single set of flights to/fro Europe that already happen… and no more or less intra week flying than that which already happens.

  1. No matter what comes of this, can they finally eliminate one of the Gold Cups? Every 2 years is just a blatant cash grab.

    Reply
      • You can’t let his other really bad posts influence thinking on the next one.

        Rob has a valid point, the author stated, “According to ESPN, U.S. Soccer is open to hosting again after making $46 million in profit from hosting the tournament.”

        There is only one reason for all of this….$$$$$$

      • @quit… of course I can when he unjustifiably calls me sexist and homophobic. And of course, like anything else it is always about the $$$. Thanks again, John Madden. Derp.

Leave a Comment