Don't get too excited just yet.
After Wednesday's announcement from CONMEBOL – South American soccer's governing body – that a special edition of the 2016 Copa América would be held in the United States, CONCACAF officials stated on Thursday that further discussion is required before the tournament is finalized.
"Even though playing the 2016 Copa América in the CONCACAF region with our teams and those from CONMEBOL would be a wonderful experience for all fans, we are still in the midst of talks and negotiations between all parties involved in this decision," CONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz said in a statement. "This is an idea we are hoping to materialize but we are still evaluating and discussing before it becomes official but the intention is definitely there."
The two confederations have been pursuing the possibility of a joint tournament for some time now, as CONCACAF President Jefferey Webb met with executive committee members of CONMEBOL in São Paulo in July to explore the potential for collaboration between the two organizations.
US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati also released a statement on Thursday, making clear that confirmation of the tournament is still premature.
"While the idea of a Centennial tournament with some of the best teams in the hemisphere is certainly intriguing, it is not something we have agreed to host or participate in at this time," Gulati said. "As CONCACAF stated, there are still a number of discussions that need to take place with CONMEBOL. U.S. Soccer would also need to be involved in discussions about hosting the tournament. We’re looking forward to those discussions in the near future."
