Montagliani did not condemn the reports, but neither do definitive announcements from the country’s governing bodies United States Soccer, Mexican Football Federation and Canadian Soccer appear to be imminent. The 2019 Copa America is currently scheduled for June and July of that year.
Adding fuel to the fire, Ecuador will no longer serve as hosts of the Copa America, leaving Argentina as the defending champions (2021 winner beats Brazil). And the US, with its built-in infrastructure, can definitely host tournaments.
According to Montagliani, what is clear is that the United States, Mexico and Canada will need to look for top-level matches to prepare for what’s on the horizon for 2026. It will be the first expanded World Cup (48 teams instead of 32) and will be held in 16 cities. across three countries.
“We’ll have those discussions, we’ll do them and we’ll continue them all to see how we can improve our own competition and possibly create new ones,” Montagliani said. “We understand how important it is to have these competitions, so perhaps early in 2023, we will make some kind of announcement.”
Montagliani later cited the 2021 Arab Cup in Qatar as a test event for the 2022 World Cup as a form of inspiration. For similar preparation purposes, FIFA held the Confederations Cup in the host country of the World Cup until 2017. The competition, held the year before it was held, was contested by holders of each of the six continental championships.
“Of course, these things are useful not only for the host country, but also for all the countries in Concacaf,” said Montagliani.
Mexico has made 10 Copa America appearances and the United States has made it to four. Canada has yet to appear in South America’s best showcase.
If the 2024 Copa America takes place in the United States, it will be a warm-up for the 2026 World Cup. With the international calendar shaping up, matches against the best teams in the world are a must.
