2024 Copa America To Include CONCACAF Teams
The United States of America (USA) will host the next edition of Copa America in 2024, and will feature 10 teams from CONMEBOL and six teams from CONCACAF.
READ ALSO: CONMEBOL To Decide Copa America Venue Next Week
CONCACAF, the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, said the tournament would be co-organised by both confederations.
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, will enter the competition as the defending champion, after beating Brazil in 2021.
CONCACAF countries will have the opportunity to qualify for this competition through the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League.
“CONMEBOL and CONCACAF are united 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,” Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL, said.
“We want this passion to translate into more and better competitions and for soccer and its values to grow and strengthen throughout the hemisphere. Without a doubt, both confederations believe in big and we will work with this orientation”.
For the women’s national teams, Concacaf has invited the top four CONMEBOL women’s national teams to participate in the 2024 Concacaf Gold Cup W.
The inaugural edition of this tournament will be played in the United States. The 12-team contest is a key part of the new Concacaf women’s national team competition schedule.
The two Concacaf teams that will participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics (United States and Jamaica or Canada) will receive a bye to the 2024 Concacaf Gold Cup W. The remaining six Concacaf teams will be determined through the Concacaf W Qualifier. 2023.
The four invited CONMEBOL teams that will participate have been determined based on the results of the 2022 Copa América Femenina: Brazil (champion) Colombia (runner-up), Argentina (third place) and Paraguay (fourth place).
CONMEBOL and Concacaf will also organize a centralized “final four” style club competition involving the best clubs from the respective confederations.
The four participating teams (two from each confederation) will qualify through the existing CONMEBOL and Concacaf club competitions and the two confederations are working so that the first edition of this tournament will be played in 2024.
“This partnership is to support the continued growth of men’s and women’s football in Concacaf and Conmebol, and it will truly be mutually beneficial to both Confederations,” Victor Montagliani, President of Concacaf, said.
“Working hand in hand with Conmebol, we will offer elite competitions that will provide more opportunities for our federations and that we know the fans want to see. We will work together to ensure that football in both regions continues to thrive.”