According to a report on ESPNDeportes.com, negotiations between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF officials to merge the Copa America and Gold Cup tournaments into one competition are nearly complete and would result in one championship for the Western Hemisphere that would take place every four years and would be held in the United States.
The report quoted two CONCACAF officials saying the negotiations are close to being completed, with one saying that, “CONMEBOL asked to give their response after the [Copa America Centenario] tournament. But today, they are convinced that [at] the next [CONMEBOL] Congress, it will be approved.’’
The report said the discussions have been ongoing for more than a year. Officials believe such a tournament – which would do away with separate national-team championships for each confederation – would be better off taking place in the US because of the superior facilities, including stadiums and hotels.
The report also cited the economics of hosting the tournament in the US as more advantageous than hosting in South America, pointing out that some teams taking part in Copa America 2015 in Chile did not receive their guaranteed money in a timely fashion or did not receive the full amount. |