CONMEBOL, CONCACAF to meet regarding Copa Centenario future
Representatives from CONCACAF and CONMEBOL will meet next week in Mexico City to discuss the fate of the Copa Centenario.
The two confederations are expected to meet on Sept. 17 to contemplate the possibility of moving forward with the jointly organized tournament next year, according to a CONMEBOL release on Thursday.
CONCACAF and CONMEBOL agreed earlier this year to stage a one-off tournament to celebrate the 100th anniversary of CONMEBOL and the Copa América. The two federations agreed on a 16-team field including six CONCACAF nations, decided to stage the tournament in the United States and started the bidding process for potential venues.
Those plans were plunged into doubt after officials from both confederations and tournament promoter Traffic Sports were indicted in the United States on various criminal charges in May, including money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud.
At this point, it is unknown whether the two confederations and U.S. Soccer can find a mutually agreeable solution to keep the tournament in the United States. U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati spoke out in the wake of the indictments earlier this year and underscored the need for more transparency in financial dealings across world soccer.
If the United States does not host the tournament, then the two confederations would need to agree on a replacement host and strike a new deal to ensure the tournament proceeds as planned.
In its statement, CONMEBOL said the two confederations have a “firm intention” to ensure the tournament occurs as scheduled.
