Copa America 2021 left without host after Argentina axed of hosting rights
Copa America 2021 is the 47th edition of the oldest continental football tournament. The competition was scheduled to be held by Argentina and Colombia. However, both the countries have now been dropped as the host owing to varied reasons. Here’s why.
FollowThe 47th edition of the Copa America, scheduled to be held this year, has been thrown into further disarray. The tournament is without a host right now, with Argentina being stripped of its hosting rights while its future remains uncertain.
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) confirmed the same on Sunday night. It stated that the current situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in the country makes it impossible for it to host the tournament there.
“CONMEBOL informs that, in view of the present circumstances, it decided to suspend the organization of the Copa America in Argentina. CONMEBOL analyzes the offer from other countries that have shown interest in hosting the continental tournament. News in this regard will be announced shortly,” it wrote in its announcement on Twitter.
However, it is notable that CONMEBOL has not called off the tournament and is willing to listen to offers from other nations that could host the event. Notwithstanding, it would also be logistically challenging for CONMEBOL and the host nation to get things ready on time, at such short notice, with the tournament scheduled to begin on June 13.
The competition was initially supposed to be co-hosted by Colombia as well. However, it was stripped of its rights a couple of weeks back, owing to its ongoing political unrest.
In the meantime, reports had previously indicated that the tournament could move to the United States of America if Argentina lost its rights as well. According to BluRadio Colombia, CONMEBOL and the USA have already held talks. Meanwhile, the discussions are expected to intensify in the coming days.
“In the last 72 hours, the phone was shaken. The crisis that has generated public order in Colombia and the pandemic in Argentina is making it look, some approaches have already been made, the Copa América outside the South American Football Confederation: the United States. They are trying to establish a circuit of cities where there is no Gold Cup to hold the Copa América with the public. It is an alternative within the desperation to meet the sponsors,” Blog Deportivo director Javier Hernández Bonnet had said last week.
It would not be the first time the tournament would be held in the USA. In 2016, the Centenario edition was conducted in the country, with Chile being the winner, while the USA remains the only non-CONMEBOL nation to date to host the competition.
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