Although I'm an outsider I will share my opinion. I can't see a joint competition becoming a regular thing without a confederation merge unless it replaces one of the current tournaments. I can see a 16 team Copa America becoming a reality if it is run by Conmebol with 6 invited teams from CONCACAF.
Here's a rough idea of what they can do. 2018 World Cup (Caribbean Cup/Copa Centroamericana) 2019 Copa America Brasil / Gold Cup 2020 Copa Panamerica / Euro (Caribbean Cup/Copa Centroamericana) 2021 Gold Cup / Copa America 2022 World Cup (Caribbean Cup/Copa Centroamericana) 2023 Gold Cup 2024 Copa Panamerica / Euro (Caribbean Cup/Copa Centroamericana) 2025 Gold Cup / Copa America 2026 World Cup (Caribbean Cup/Copa Centroamericana) The Confederations Cup is going to disappear, so there's be no need to worry about that. The Gold Cup and CONMEBOL Copa America align in some of the odd year, but the Copa America sticks to a 4 year cycle. The Gold Cup may continue on a biennial cycle - that'll please the smaller CONCACAF nations who want to maximize their tournament experience/revenue and it'll maximize regional cash flow too. CONCACAF will still be able to generate about $50 Million every other summer from the Gold Cup. Easy money with no downside. Meanwhile, the still-quadrennial Copa America remains for CONCACAF to do as it pleases. They can expand it to 16 teams and rather than having to invite 6 CONCACAF sides (let's be honest - not the most lucrative proposition once you get beyond the USA and Mexico), they can invite major sides from anywhere in the world to each edition, and make each tournament a bigger, more lucrative and entertaining spectacle. The USA-based Copa Panamerica (that's what I will call the new combined "super tournament") moves to match up with the Euros every 4 years, and will go head to head with them. Gold Cups and Caribbean Cups work as qualification for the Copa Panamericas. These become the $1 Billion revenue generating powerhouses for both CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. In this scenario, not every tournament gets to see the full complement of star players. I would expect that the World Cup, Copa Panamerica, and Copa America would take priority, with most of the A-teamers saving their energy for those. We will see full strength sides in each of those tournaments. Other tournaments would see a mix of A and B team players - I would expect the pre-World Cup Gold Cups to become the more "A-team" tournaments as the Confederations Cup disappears. The other Gold Cups will look a lot like Gold Cup 2017. The Caribbean Cup and Copa Centroamerica would be at the lowest priority level, as they would be off FIFA dates (probably during the end of the year before each Gold Cup or early in each Gold Cup year i.e. January). They will still serve their purpose as lower level qualifiers and revenue/exposure generators for smaller teams. The smaller teams will have no problem fielding players from their domestic leagues or from North America's league system (which is in the off-season in January).
Here's yet another example of what could be done: 2019 Copa America Brasil / Gold Cup 2020 Copa Panmerica / Euro 2021 (Caribbean Cup/Copa Centroamericana) (Maybe Confed Cup?) 2022 Gold Cup / World Cup 2023 Copa America 2024 Copa Panamerica / Euro 2025 (Caribbean Cup/Copa Centroamericana) (Maybe Confed Cup?) 2026 Gold Cup / World Cup 2027 Copa America Here, just as in the other scenario, the Copa Panamerica becomes a regular quadrennial tournament. The regular Copa America remains a quadrennial CONMEBOL-managed affair and is the same as in my last scenario (the main difference being that it is no longer aligned with the Gold Cup every 4 years). However, the big difference here is that the Gold Cup becomes quadrennial and matches up with World Cup years. This gives the Gold Cup a bit more significance as a) it is now held a little less commonly and b) it can now be used as a direct means to prepare for the World Cup. There is precedent for treating the Gold Cup this way - in 1998, the tournament was held in February, and many teams treated it as regional preparation for the World Cup later that year. It would be better in this role than friendlies. Money would not be much of an issue, as CONCACAF will still be holding tournaments every 2 years and maximizing revenue with an arguably more meaningful Gold Cup alternating with the vastly more profitable Copa Panamerica. Some of the odd years remain blank in this scenario, so there would actually still be room for a Confederations Cup. The Caribbean Cup and Copa Centroamericana would also fit in those years, and with nothing much else going on they might be able to be held on FIFA dates and turned into slightly bigger spectacles with more "A-team" players participating. This would dramatically enhance the profile and revenue potential of each tournament. The Copa America years in this scenario (2023 and 2027) would be kind of quiet for CONCACAF - the Nation's League can fill that gap. We could potentially see mostly A-teams at all of the major tournaments in this scenario. The Gold Cup (currently the principle offender as far as the fielding of B-teams goes) would start seeing more A-teams given its lower frequency and the value it will have as a World Cup warm up.
Chile's Alexis Sanchez is on track to play seven consecutive summer tournaments (with player release protection) in the event that Chile qualifies for Russia 2018: 2014 World Cup 2015 Copa America 2016 Copa America Centenario 2017 Confederations Cup 2018 World Cup 2019 Copa America 2020 Proposed Copa Pan-America Simply ridiculous.
If we are stuck with all three tournaments (Copa America, Gold Cup and Copa Pan-America) on a permanent basis then I would like to see the following: Put the Copa Pan-America in the same year as the Euros and make it the only tournament with FIFA player release protection for the Americas in a four-year window. I say rotate the host between North and South America and expand it to 24 teams as recently done in UEFA, AFC and now CAF. CONMEBOL and CONCACAF can then continue holding their individuals tournaments but without the player release protection. Something has got to give. The clubs need to have their interests protected as well. We are now entering the age of USD 260M+ player transfers. But of course that won't happen. FIFA will rubber-stamp it all and allow CONMEBOL and CONCACAF (and CAF) to line their pockets with all the bells and whistles of player release protection. FIFA have no problem humbling the big boys in club football (Barcelona transfer ban) but will bend over backwards for their member associations. I have all but lost faith in FIFA to be a somewhat fair arbitrator in their role as regulator of the game. It will ultimately lead to a rift in the sport in the North American mold.
$1,000,000,000. Your instinct is correct to conclude that your proposal won't happen (it is politically untenable and could easily get Infantino run out of office). That doesn't mean that you won't get a lot of what you want, however. As I've said before, clubs and national federations often combine to help limit workloads for players even without a mandate from FIFA to do so. You do not need to have a binding requirement guiding player call-ups in order to prevent overworking of players. Take the Copa Centenarrio. It was on a FIFA date. For Messi, it was summer tournament #3 in 3 years. What did Argentina do? They rested him for most of the event. Same goes for Neymar, who just skipped the Copa Centenario altogether for the Olympics. Mexico, by right, could have called any available players for the 2017 Gold Cup. However, having had stars like Chicharito already occupied for 3 previous summers, they left them alone for the Gold Cup (saving them for the much shorter Confederations Cup instead). FIFA does not need to do anything here and there is no risk of a rift. Clubs and federations already voluntarily manage players workloads. Furthermore, you don't mention the role players themselves have in this - they too can turn down callups, and they have done so in order to manage their own workloads. This will continue to happen, even for smaller teams without bigger name stars. What you're talking about is a problem that doesn't really exist. We aren't going to get in to a scenario where some player is forced by a national federation AGAINST the will of both his club and of the player to just go on and on with endless tournaments. That isn't happening now and it isn't happening in the future. There will be teams who will, conceivable, have tournaments almost every summer. Players will be rotated so as to ensure they are not overworked. You will see star players miss out on some tournaments (either because they themselves decided to rest, the federation decided to rest them to look at other players, the club wanted them to rest, or some combination/all of the above) and play extensively in others. You might see some players called for one tournament but have their minutes limited. You might see some players play every minute one summer and no minutes the next. It will vary as needed so as to ensure the clubs don't get screwed, the players dont get screwed, and the federations and fans can still get what they want. There is no scenario where players get run into the ground against both their own and their clubs will just to benefit federations and fans. Again - that's not happening now, and it isn't going to happen later. Everybody is a winner here. You don't need to keep insisting that this is a zero-sum game, because it is not.
Good National team Managers will know how to use their players and know their limits and how much they need to play. If Club teams don't like it who cares. Tell them to stop playing so many Club Cups and Presseaon made up tournaments if they wan their players to rest.
In general national teams should be able to call the players they want, but national teams shouldn't have tournaments every summer.
Only problem is that FIFA hasn't aproved anything yet, so till now, all we are talking about is "plain air", in which case everyone is entitled on having opinions over it.
I really don't see a Copa Pan-American happening. If it what was reported is true, Cops America is coinciding with the Euro (playing in an 'even' year) and apparently both FIFA and UEFA are in favor of this so that European clubs would only have to release their international players one summer instead of two consecutive summers. As for the Gold Cup, whether it'll happen every 2 years or 4 years, it will happen in 'odd' year but it won't affect nearly as many European clubs as the Cops America/Euro. That being said, with Copa America expanding, Gold Cup possibly doing the same, and the introduction of the CONCACAF League of Nations, I think there wouldn't be 'room' for another big tournament unless the Gold Cup is eliminated or modified (as it happen before when the tourney was originally the 'CONCACAF Championships' or something like that). In fact, maybe the Gold Cup would be modified for expansion to invite South America nations and have a sort of 'Pan-American' Invitational of some sort. One thing that is almost certain is that Copa America will remain and with its expansion to 16 (Conmebol + 6 invitees), it will only get better. Might I add that IMO, with the CONVACAF LoN being introduced, this will only make the 'weaker' teams in the region stronger and and thus eventually have a more competitive Gold Cup.
All indications are pointing towards it being approved. Just like in this cycle when people thought the Centenario would only have "B" or"C" teams. Money talks and they can smell the potential ($$$). Yes people can say teams should not have to play every summer but as I said, if it is FIFA approved and if Managers know how to mange their players properly, then it does not matter what people think on the issue.
Our opinions about any and every issue related to the sport doesn't matter because those who make the decisions could care less what we think. So why have this message board then? Why do YOU post on Big Soccer?
I sometimes wonder this myself. It seems to be mostly complaining and moaning and negative questioning. Which is fine. I just like something a little more substantial than "I don't like players playing every summer." or in this case " national teams shouldn't have tournaments every summer" When it is just a few players on a few teams and they usually want to represent their country in these Summer tournaments rather than play in meaningless friendlies and competitions for their clubs.
This is what I've been saying, the international game will evolve to a expo for under-age or out of major contract players. As long as we don't take things like rankings, caps, and other statistics seriously, no harm if people enjoy these minor events. As long as they don't expect or think they are seeing the best. And the players are actually indeed free to turn them down.
Mind you the "harm" is if this bleeds to the World Cup. For instance, the US team has more money so it can afford to compensate its players in say, MLS, so they win another gold cup and get seeded in the World Cup; but Columbia, a good team, but a poor federation with players in richer leagues in Europe, can't afford its best, doesn't looses to the US in the Copa (played in the US) and thus is not ranked as high and doesn't get a seed. Then the World Cup has the same problem as european club football, the rich always win.
My first point was clearer, that the international game will become a venue for young or marginal or out of contract players. It will be sad, although it's already happening, if some countries can afford their players more than others. That was my second point, admittedly poorly stated.
IMO, the way the current climate is going with all regions (Continental tournament expansion in CAF, Conmebol, CONCACAF, LoN in UEFA and CONCACAF, etc., etc.), "rankings, caps, and other statistics" will still be counted towards 'seeding' because at the end of the day, whether it's money driven and/or (I hope) more nationalism driven, whatever 11 players a nation starts versus whatever 11 players the other nation starts, it's still a group of players representing their nation as best they can and going for the win. If you are the nation with all your 'senior' players playing, it's your obligation and responsibility to the sport to try to blow the other team out so that they learn and get better and if you're the 'non-senior', the idea is that you will get better with these games and will ultimately flip the scoreboard. A good example if this is the 'young' German team in the Confederations Cup. Yes, it's an example that may not be fair to those coming from Columbia and those under-age coming from other areas that I forgot to mention in my "current climate" parenthesis above but will mention now... the Concacaf Champions League has been divided into 2 to further strengthen players and clubs by giving them more competitive/international experience than before not to mention modifying/upgrading the tourneys that lead to the CCL. As far as the south, there was a major change in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana plus a continental mandotary change in all South American leagues that a club can no longer gualify to both, which leads to giving more clubs/players experience in international competition. Bottoms line, the climate change that is going on in soccer in all regions is most likely money driven but fortunately, in order for the execs to get more money, they need for the middle and bottom of the league's and nations' across the globe to get better and it will only be done by including them in more tournaments, both locally and internationally... and they are putting the infrastructure to make that happen. Not sure if all of this made sense but if some of it did and/or you get my entire point, or you read all of this, I appreciate it and my bad.
On the contrary, all indications point, as the years go by, that clubs are getting more power and control over whatever happens in the future of this game. You are right in accepting that money moves it all. And it is mostly the clubs whom pour into it the biggest amounts, as it is them the ones whom really make the ball roll. Not FIFA. At present times, FIFA is perfectly aware of this reality. During the beginings, when this game was more an amateur type of organization, it were the local Federations, the ones whom made the sport grow, but as things have been changing along the way, now it's the clubs whom have taken over and have started to have their say on what will be things for the future. If FIFA wants to put themselves against clubs, it will not take much time before, FIFA will lose their power over clubs, and FIFA will not be needed any longer and easily replaced by a new governing association, which will benefit more those whom are the ones making the bigger investments and asuming the costs it represents, in this game. Local Federations, aren´t really making much investments in the game, and are mainly sucking from the benefits that clubs at a local level, produce. Clubs patience regarding this, currently is draining away very fast (reasons why, it is starting to get very common to know how lots of clubs are taking judicial matters to courts of justice outside from FIFA's concern, something that just a few years ago, was unthinkable), as many of them have realized that during the summers when most leagues aren't playing, they can earn more money for themselves, by playing elsewhere with the players that they have hired to play for them. Having too much summer tournaments, at national team level, is currently affecting directly, their clubs income, as the players called aren't playing for whom actually pays them, and who has them under work contract, but bringing benefits to a third party, that spends hardly anything, on clubs assets, when that happens. Yes, you have it right : Money, $$$$$$$, talks. But, clubs are the ones whom are asuming most of the costs, so in not so much time from now, it will be them the ones making most of the calls. And as in FIFA, they don't want "to stop sucking from the tit that feeds them", it is very likely that more sooner than later, they will start protecting more the interests of clubs, on behalf of what benefits local FA's (you can see some of this, with all the talks on how the current Confed cup, may be replaced by a Club WC with more teams in it, which in the end means less for the FA's and more for the clubs; which is a very big blow against national team type of tournaments)
You are talking about future hypotheticals and conjecture that may or may not happen. You are also focusing on the Euro Clubs. I am talking about the immediate future when pertaining to this proposed Pana-American Cup or whatever you want to call it. The cash flow generated within South America and North America is more directly based on these sort of National Team tournaments. Same with Africa I assume. USA television Networks and sponsors are drooling to see more NAtional team tournaments on this side of the world. Not Club tournaments.