2021 Copa América
The 2021 Copa América will be the 47th edition of the Copa América, the international men's football championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. The tournament will take place in Colombia and Argentina from 11 June to 11 July 2021. This will mark the first time it will be hosted by more than one country since 1983, when it was played in a home–away basis, and the first time in two countries.
The tournament was originally scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 July 2020 as the 2020 Copa América. On 17 March 2020, CONMEBOL announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South America, the tournament had been postponed for a year, in conjunction with UEFA's decision to also postpone UEFA Euro 2020 to 2021.
Brazil are the title holders, having won their ninth title in 2019.
Background
In March 2017, CONMEBOL reportedly proposed that the Copa América take place in 2020 as part of a calendar change. Following the 2019 edition in Brazil, the quadrennial tournament would move from odd to even years starting in 2020, with the following edition taking place in Ecuador in 2024. This would move the tournament in line with the UEFA European Championship, which is also held in even years with a 2020 edition taking place. Reports suggested that the United States may host the tournament, having previously held the one-off Copa América Centenario in 2016, which celebrated the centenary of CONMEBOL and the Copa América. On 18 September 2018, plans for a calendar change were confirmed by CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez after submitting an official request to FIFA.On 26 October 2018 at the FIFA Council meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, the request was approved for the Copa América to take place in even years, starting with the 2020 edition. The tournament will take place between 12 June and 12 July 2020, the same dates as UEFA Euro 2020.
On 13 March 2019 CONMEBOL announced Argentina and Colombia as co-hosts of the 2020 event after the United States bid was rejected. It was officially announced the same day when CONMEBOL approved of the joint hosting. It was officially awarded on 9 April 2019 at the CONMEBOL Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
COVID-19 pandemic and postponement
In March 2020, the pandemic in South America of coronavirus disease 2019 began impacting football. FIFA announced that the first two rounds of the South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, due to take place in March, were postponed, while CONMEBOL temporarily suspended the Copa Libertadores. On 17 March 2020, CONMEBOL announced that the Copa América would be postponed to the following year, taking place from 11 June to 11 July 2021, in order to protect the health and safety of the teams, media, visitors and host cities. On the following day, the Bureau of the FIFA Council approved the date change in the FIFA International Match Calendar. As a result, the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which was due to take place in June and July 2021, will be rescheduled.Venues
The tournament will take place in nine venues in nine cities, five in Argentina and four in Colombia. On 20 November 2019, CONMEBOL published a document confirming eight venues, Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba, Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires and Estadio Ciudad de La Plata in La Plata for Argentina and Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero in Cali, Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín, Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla and Estadio El Campín in Bogotá for Colombia. Moreover, Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario in San Juan and Estadio Hernán Ramírez Villegas in Pereira were also nominated but not confirmed, being finally dismissed.On 3 December 2019, prior to the draw, it was known that Estadio Único in Santiago del Estero was included as one of the Argentine venues.
Colombia will host the North Zone group, while Argentina will host the South Zone group. Each country will also host two quarter-finals and one semi-final. The third place match and final will be played in Colombia.
Teams
All ten CONMEBOL national teams will participate in the competition, divided into two geographical zones for the group stage.In June 2019, the CONMEBOL Council officially approved the participation of Australia and Qatar as the two invited teams, who were the previous two winners of the AFC Asian Cup. Australia would be making their debut appearance in the Copa América, while Qatar would be making their second appearance, having participated in the previous edition.
;CONMEBOL North Zone
Draw
The team allocations of the CONMEBOL members, divided into North Zone and South Zone, were announced on 9 April 2019. The group stage draw was held on 3 December 2019, 19:30 COT, in Cartagena, Colombia to decide the zones of the two invited nations, Australia and Qatar, as well as the schedule of both groups. As hosts, Argentina and Colombia were automatically allocated to positions A1 and B1, respectively. The opening match of the tournament will involve Argentina.The fixtures for the group stage were decided based on the draw results, as follows:
Group stageThe kick-off times for the tournament were announced on 4 March 2020. All match times listed are local, ART in Argentina and COT in Colombia. On 17 March 2020, the tournament was postponed until 2021 and the new schedule is to be announced.The top four teams of each group will advance to the quarter-finals. Group A (South Zone)-------- ---- ---- Group B (North Zone)-------- ---- ---- Knockout stageBracketQuarter-finals-------- ---- Semi-finals----Third place play-offFinal |