Football
Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent 7y

CONCACAF, CONMEBOL continuing joint Copa America talks - Montagliani

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- CONCACAF president Victor Montgliani said talks are "continuing" with CONMEBOL to hold another joint Copa America tournament in North America.

In 2016, the two confederations joined forces to put on the Copa America Centenario in honor of CONMEBOL's 100th anniversary. The tournament was a clear success both in the stands and on the field. The Copa's average attendance of over 46,000 was more than enough to satisfy tournament organizers.

The television ratings on Univision and Fox also spoke to the appetite for the tournament as the semifinal between the U.S. and Argentina was the most watched men's match in the history of FS1.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday's Gold Cup final, Montagliani said: "We've are continuing our discussions with our friends in CONMEBOL to bring back a Copa America.

"It won't be a Centenario type, that was a one-off. It will be a Copa America, a joint venture between two confederations."

He added: "We saw the success it had on the field and off the field last year, and we think it's one of the things I get stopped the most by fans. When are we going to have that back?

"I think it behooves both confederations, CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, to do everything we can to bring back an event of such a nature because I think the fans are clamoring for it."

As for the joint U.S./Mexico/Canada bid for the 2026 World Cup, Montagliani said that since the bid has already been submitted, CONCACAF is playing a waiting game to see if anyone else makes a challenge.

"We'll wake up on Aug. 12 and see who else is bidding," he said.

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