The Copa is coming.
After months of speculation as to if and when the Copa America Centenario in 2016 would be, US soccer confirmed on Friday evening that the US will indeed host the competition which will see nations like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and Chile battle for the crown of America.
US soccer will partner with CONCACAF and CONMEBOL for the competition as part of the 100-year anniversary.
The tournament will run from June 3 to June 26 across the US, with stars like Lionel Messi (Argentina), Neymar (Brazil), Luis Suarez (Uruguay) and Alexis Sanchez (Chile) expected to participate.
It's OFFICIAL! US Soccer Federation is hosting Copa America Centenario. Read all about it- https://t.co/pCpIu9x3vu pic.twitter.com/ay5QA7MoE5
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) October 23, 2015
Venues have not yet been selected to host matches. There was concern that the tournament wouldn't even happen, and if it did, that it would be moved to another country, so it has taken much longer than needed to get things in order.
The competition will feature 16 teams, 6 from CONCACAF, including the US and Mexico, along with the 10 South American teams, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Costa Rica and Jamaica will also take part, while the final two teams will come via a CONCACAF playoff.
It's fantastic news for a sport that's growing in the US. The Copa America is arguably the most important international competition after the World Cup. Many view it on the same level as the European Championship, which is every four years.
Uruguay is the most successful nation in the competition's history, winning 15 times since 1916. Chile won the 2015 edition, beating Argentina in penalty kicks.
