Owing to the scheduling issues posed by the Coronavirus pandemic, while the continental tournaments of EURO 2020 and the Copa America are confirmed to be taking this place, the participants could change.
Qatar and Australia were the two Asian nations invited to participate in this year’s Copa America. However, due to the Asian Football Federation scheduling its 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures during the summer, it conflicts with its schedule. As a result, Qatar and Australia will withdraw.
Moreover, the stands will be filled by supporters up to 30% of the capacity of stadia in Argentina and Colombia, where the tournament is scheduled to be held. This will not only make the tournament a lot more engaging but also raise revenue that has been absent from sports for the longest time.
“The Copa América is completely confirmed. The idea is that it be played with a percentage of the public, 30% .”
About the venue for the 2021 Copa Libertadores final , Gonzalo Belloso , CONMEBOL Deputy Secretary General for Soccer revealed that it will be decided later: “We are looking at the possibility of doing something exceptional. We will discuss this in March.”
CONMEBOL will now have to decide whether they will conduct the tournament without Qatar and Australia or invite other countries to take their place. In any case, the oldest continental tournament in the world is set to return for another edition this year, despite getting cancelled last year due to the pandemic.
