When news broke on Jan. 27 that the 2024 Copa America would be played in the United States and not Ecuador as originally planned, the substitution was noted as a vital victory for soccer in North America and for CONCACAF, the region’s governing body.
In Latin America, however, the update has been so celebrated.
La Nacion editor Ezequiel Fernández Moores’ recent column, titled “America for Americans,” highlights the effect of recent political upheavals and security considerations in South America on the continent’s ability to host its first foreign soccer tournament.
Still, Fernandez Moores points out that the strength of U. S. infrastructure is not yet important. U. S. and easily accessible stadiums don’t protect the U. S. UU. de similar criticisms.
“It never occurred to me that games can be played in California, the state that suffered 4 mass shootings over 10 days in January,” he wrote.
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The return of the Copa America to the United States is also great news in Mexico. But veteran ESPN Mexico reporter Rafa Ramos downplayed the prestige of the centennial South American tournament, calling the 2024 edition “the Pan American Cup. “
Ramos criticized Mexican Federation President Yon De Luisa’s handling of a myriad Mexican soccer crisis. Ramos said the path to the Copa America for Mexico and for CONCACAF “is to share the cake” with CONMEBOL.
It appears the Copa America needed an American bailout, despite CONMEBOL’s existing sporting position after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. winning the World Cup trophy even though it all came true.
But off the court, things have been much more disastrous. In December, a political crisis in Peru led to the arrest of President Pedro Castillo on charges of conspiracy and conspiracy. More than 40 civilians in Peru have been killed in clashes with government security forces. Brazil has experienced a failed coup after supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attacked the country’s congressional and Supreme Court buildings.
And in Ecuador, violent protests that began last summer against emerging inflation and the emerging costs of basic necessities such as gas and food have created a volatile environment in the Andean nation. A wave of crime due to the increase in drug trafficking in Guayaquil. It has made the issues worse.
In a column for The Athletic last December, former Ecuador and Manchester United full-back Antonio Valencia spoke about the climate in his native country.
“We are going through difficult times (in Ecuador), especially in regards to the accumulation of violent crime,” Valencia wrote. It was a 90-minute escape.
It has a worrying trend for CONMEBOL. La Colombia had intended to co-host the 2020 edition of the Copa America with Argentina, but the tournament was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, violent anti-government protests erupted. across Colombia after former President Iván Duque’s tax reform bill did little to alleviate the plight of the middle and poor class.
The Argentine government subsidized after learning that the coronavirus was still rampant, so CONMEBOL intervened, moving the Copa America to Brazil in 2021 behind closed doors. For the first time since 1991, the Copa America was played with only 10 CONMEBOL representatives. However, it was a memorable tournament, as Messi and Argentina beat Brazil at the Maracana Stadium.
As Colombia grappled with political violence and the embarrassment of wasting its hosting duties, Ecuadorian Football Federation President Francisco Egas began pressuring his country as a possible host of the 2024 Copa America.
“We are preparing (to receive),” Egas told reporters in May 2021. “I think we have that of our clubs, some of which look very good in terms of infrastructure. Hopefully Ecuador can host and that’s why we will fight, the Copa America 2024. “
Ecuador last hosted the tournament in 1993, but recently hosted the men’s and women’s Copa Libertadores finals. Ecuador’s bid is on track, but has since been derailed by security considerations and a lack of good enough stadiums in Ecuador.
“We are not in a position to host the Copa America,” Egas said in November. “Today our country will have to focus on resources that help us face the tricky scenario that affects us all and is our priority. There are more vital things than football.
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The Copa America’s return to the United States is unfortunate for South American soccer because of what the tournament has long represented: national and regional pride and the option to be crowned kings of CONMEBOL against their continental enemies. More importantly, Ecuador’s withdrawal as host recently to CONMEBOL’s bid for the 2030 World Cup.
The federations of Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay hope to host the tournament one hundred years after the first World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930. They face other joint candidacies, adding a European contingent of Spain, Portugal and Ukraine, plus a formidable challenger in Saudi Arabia, which has aligned itself with Greece and Egypt, and its star ambassador: Leo Messi.
In a video released on the day the format of the Copa America 2024 was announced, CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez pledged to make 2030 a historic year for South America.
“This resolve to unite the Americas through continental tournaments only puts (South America) on the big screen, but it is also helping to prepare our confederation to keep the World Cup in 2026, at the same level where the next World Cup will take place. “” Dominguez said. We will continue to challenge the global so that the 100th World Cup in 2030 returns to where it all began. “
Uruguay hosted the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
FIFA’s resolution to designate the host country of the 2030 World Cup will come next year. Paraguay’s Dominguez, now in his seventh year as president, hopes 2024 will mark a historic milestone for CONMEBOL.
But, at least on the surface, it’s not a smart concept for Dominguez and the confederation to deliver the Copa America to the United States a year before the 2030 vote.
Colombia is hosting the South American U-20 Men’s Championship lately, and the tournament is going smoothly. The Colombians are desperate for a chance to host their moment in the Copa America. Surely Brazil or Argentina simply intervened when Ecuador abdicated its responsibilities.
Instead, Dominguez identified an opportunity to raise funds. And perhaps most importantly, he aligned CONMEBOL with CONCACAF and its 41 electoral federations a year before this vote. That’s not a bad strategy given a recent Politico report, which explains how Saudi Arabia’s coalition with Greece and Egypt could help the Gulf state win valuable votes in Africa, Asia and Europe.
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On Tuesday, from the headquarters of the Argentine national team in Buenos Aires, Dominguez officially announced the joint candidacy of South America to 2030 along with officials from the federation and the governments of Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Their confidence is evident.
“I’m not too worried about 2030,” Dominguez said from Buenos Aires. “We have a team. We are in wonderful things, we are committed and FIFA will have to honour the memory of those who came before us and hosted the first World Cup. “
The 2016 edition of the Copa America is considered a commercial and sporting success. Athletic reported last week that CONCACAF and CONMEBOL had won significant sums from the tournament. In fact, the U. S. Soccer Federation has been in charge of the U. S. He won as much as $90 million at the Copa America Centenario seven years ago.
Monetary gain is an apparent incentive to retain the tournament in the United States. This Copa America drew sold-out crowds across the country. The U. S. Men’s National Team reached the semifinals, which kept the American public interested in the competition. of the biggest stars in South American football have pledged to play for their country, joining Messi, James Rodriguez, Luis Suarez and Alexis Sanchez.
Messi retired from foreign soccer in the tunnel of New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium after Argentina lost a straight moment in the Copa America final to Chile on penalties.
Other than money, the inclusion of more CONCACAF nations hasn’t done much to elevate soccer on the field. At the organizational level alone, the six CONCACAF representatives (USMNT, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica and Haiti) conceded a total of 36 goals. Haiti and Panama have conceded a combined 22 goals in six games. Mexico’s regional strength humiliated after losing 7-0 to Chile in the quarterfinals.
De Luisa highlighted the partnership between CONCACAF and CONMEBOL in terms of Mexico’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with the United States and Canada.
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“We have been waiting for years for this to be announced,” De Luisa told reporters last week. “For more than a year, we’ve been working directly with FIFA President (Gianni) Infantino and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani to track down those guys. “of (competitive) windows, so that the 3 North American countries can compete against the most productive teams. “
De Luisa is credited with playing a role as a mediator when the two confederations negotiated what will be a lucrative 2024 Copa America at most. However, the announcement came as the Mexican federation tries to fix the 2022 mess.
The aforementioned article by Ramos branded De Luisa as an opportunist, more businessman than sports administrator. Ramos was harsh in his denunciation of De Luisa and called the tournament “aromatic for the manure that is the FMF. “
Another 16-team Copa America in the U. S. it probably wouldn’t lead to elite football, but it will show the financial strength and modern infrastructure that make the U. S. a football player. The U. S. is such a horny host country. It’s also the best time for the U. S. to be able to do so. The U. S. government is organizing a foreign soccer tournament, prior to its role, the World Cup in 2026.
For CONMEBOL, the 2024 Copa America is likely to be a monetary success, but the bigger picture must be taken into account. Although a watered-down festival is universally rejected in Latin America, if South America wins the right to host the Copa America 2030 World Cup in component thanks to its new lineup with CONCACAF, perhaps the finish justifies the means.
(Photo: CONMEBOL)