https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...-could-combine-world-cup-qualifying-processes This was from back in March. I'm surprised that noone talked about this here. I don't think that something like this is done in a short space of time. Look at how long FIFA talked up the 48 team WC before that actually happened. There are things happening in both CONMEBOL and CONCACAF that make me think that this thing is in serious conversation. First off, CONMEBOL continues to make overtures for CONCACAF teams to join it's tournaments. They want in on the North American Market. Mexico currently dominates this market, not only in Mexico, but in the US as well. It's why their clubs are so comparatively wealthier than any other on the two continents. They essentially own two large countries. The US are often either matched or even exceeded in crowd support in matches played in their own country. Considering that CONMEBOL clubs already produce better players and get a lot of money selling them to Europe if they even can get a 5th of what Mexico makes in the US (and a lot of South Americans live in the US... a lot), they'll be that much stronger on the open market and perhaps become bigger buyers and even keep more of their own players. I think CONMEBOL wants a future in which their own clubs might someday have as high a profile as at least some of the mid-tier European clubs. But to do that, they have to be able to increase their profile in their own hemisphere. It doesn't help that Mexico got there first. Second, CONCACAF is already talking about getting rid of the Gold Cup altogether which would only make sense if they were considering merging into the Copa America permanently. I think that as much as CONMEBOL wants into the market, they also realize that they have something that CONCACAF wants and are now pushing for CONCACAF to expose their WC spots in order to make this deal. Both sides can leave this thing at the table, so they want to get as much as they can out of it. That doesn't mean that they're not interested. The US wants to host another Copa America in 2020 after the 2019 Copa; this has already been reported but CONMEBOL is playing hardball. Mexico just wants this all to happen no matter what. The smaller nations will demand even more money if they are going to face more stiff competition for WC spots that they struggled to get even in CONCACAF. There are alot of negotiations that have to happen to make this thing happen. Keep in mind that this will likely only happen once the tournament expands to 48 and there will be spots available even if every single current CONMEBOL side qualifies, so the idea that "noone from CONCACAF will qualify" is impossible. Hopefully we can have a constructive conversation...
Unak78, you're one of my favorite posters here and a consistently great read. ...having said that, this take is badly outdated. I'll go piece by piece... Far from it: rather, Conmebol have invited Asian sides to the most recent Copa América tournaments (this year and next), in the midst of a pretty naked spat with Concacaf. This year was the first time the Gold Cup and Copa América had been held at the same time, denying Mexico the chance to participate... ...and this presumption was shot dead when Conmebol responded to rumors that the 2020 Copa América would be held in the US by announcing on the day of the 2019 Copa América draw that the only bid in consideration was one from Argentina (the eventual joint-hosting with Colombia came later). Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez gave an interview to a Brazilian network ahead of the draw, and he explicitly stated that Conmebol's relationship with Concacaf is strained. Wrong: USSoccer president Carlos Cordeiro talked about getting rid of the Gold Cup, and Concacaf publicly checked him for it. Cordeiro also unilaterally invited Conmebol to forgo their own Copa América in favor of a 2020 tournament in the US; Conmebol publicly checked him for it as well. So far, Cordeiro has proven to be a numpty in dealing with confederation politics. The ship has sailed on all of this: Conmebol has already confirmed that Colombia and Argentina will host the 2020 edition with Qatar and Australia as guests. Concacaf indirectly responded by moving its Nations League finals from March 2020 to June, the same month as the Copa América - Pan-American collaboration is on its deathbed at the moment.
And you forgot the Copa Libertadores angle, Concacaf doesn’t want Liga MX clubs to return. Instead Liga MX has started playing the “Leagues Cup” and “Campeones Cup” with MLS in the second half of the year. I don’t see anything changing until Qatar 2022. Relations between Conmebol and Concacaf appear to be at an all-time low. Also because Conmebol has yet to receive all the promised revenue from the 2016 Centenario? (I recall someone stating that)
That was me, quoting reports out of Argentina. If true, then Conmebol passing on bringing the Copa América back to the US next year makes even more sense.
The real problem is that the leadership styles are incompatible. Mexico and the US work closely with corporations and more business oriented. C'BOL is more like organized crime and very old style FIFA with corruption and favors being handed out the norm and expected. This obviously does not fly well in the US. Stuff like that can easily get you penalized big time. Likewise, the focus on making your business partners happy and the lack of graft does not fly well in C'BOL. Otherwise, the merger between the two makes a lot of sense from a marketing, sporting and power point of view.