Report: CONMEBOL, Concacaf discussing option of USA hosting 2028 Copa América

Could South America’s continental tournament once again return to our shores? According to a report by The Athletic’s Adam Crafton, CONMEBOL and Concacaf officials are in talks to host the 2028 Copa América in the United States.

It would be the third time the United States would host South America’s tournament. They hosted the Copa América Centenario in 2016 and hosted the most recent Copa América in 2024. The United States is the only non-CONMEBOL country to host the 109-year-old tournament.

The next Copa América is scheduled for the summer of 2028, which is when the 2028 Summer Olympics are set to be hosted in Los Angeles. Traditionally, the men’s and women’s Olympic soccer tournaments take place across the entirety of the nation that is hosting the Olympics. The Olympics begin on July 14, 2028, which is generally around the time Copa América ends. The 2024 Copa América final took place on July 14th, so there would be some scheduling logistics to figure out. Presumably, the Copa América could not hold matches in Los Angeles or any other stadium that would be used for the Olympics since they would be in final preparation for those games.

The 2024 Copa América was agreed to be held in the United States as part of a collaboration between CONMEBOL and Concacaf for several reasons. It allowed the 2026 World Cup co-host teams – United States, Canada, and Mexico – to get some matches in a competitive tournament setting. It also was to serve as a test run for the stadiums that will be used for the World Cup. Bringing it back in 2028 would potentially benefit CONMEBOL and Concacaf financially.cial unrest saw the tournament moved to Brazil in 2021. In 2024, Ecuador was in line to host, but withdrew due to infrastructure and cost concerns. That prompted the tournament to be awarded to the United States.

Should the United States be picked to host again in 2028, it would mean that only two countries have hosted the past 5 Copa Américas: USA (2016, 2024, 2028) and Brazil (2019, 2021). It would also be the latest in a growing line of major tournaments that have been or will be hosted here: the 2024 Copa América, 2024 T-20 Cricket World Cup, 2026 World Cup, 2028 Copa América, 2028 Summer Olympics, potentially the 2031 Women’s World Cup, and the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.

Other possible locations for the 2028 Copa América, per Adam Crafton, include Argentina and Ecuador. Both countries were slated to hold previous editions of Copa América before outside forces led for them to be moved. Argentina was slated to host in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic coupled with so

Argentina is set to host at least one match of the 2030 World Cup alongside Paraguay and Uruguay before that tournament moves in full to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Hosting the 2028 Copa América could serve as a test for them for the World Cup and perhaps show that they should host a few more matches (or at least a group) in 2030.

If the United States hosts the 2028 Copa América, like the two other times it was here, it is presumed that six Concacaf teams would qualify for the tournament alongside the 10 CONMEBOL teams. Last time, Concacaf Nations League determined the six Concacaf participants, and even the USMNT needed to qualify despite hosting the tournament. It is likely that will be the case again should the United States be the center of South American soccer for the third time in 12 years.