Ecuador was due to host the 2024 Copa America. Under pressure, it pulled out – probably for the best given the country’s explosion of drug-related gang violence – giving the United States the opportunity to step in. And so, for the second time, the Copa moves out of South America. Just like 2016, the USA will stage a16-team tournament, with the ten South Americans joined by six nations from CONCACAF.
A sprawling tournament will take place in14 stadiums across13 cities – clearly designed as a test run for the 2026 World Cup, with eight of the giant stadiums also set for use in two years’ time. But there is