The Copa América could return to the United States as soon as 2028, marking the third time in four years that a major international tournament would be held in the country.
Conversations between CONCACAF and CONEMBOL—the confederations representing North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America respectively—are ongoing to hold a second consecutive Copa América on U.S. soil, according to The Athletic.
Argentina and Ecuador are also being considered as potential host countries.
If an agreement is reached, the U.S. men’s national team would once again play in it. The USMNT competed in the 2016 and 2024 iterations due to hosting the tournament. Prior to 2016, the U.S. were also invited in 1993, 1995 and 2007 in Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela, respectively.
A CONMEBOL press officer stated “nothing is concrete at his stage,” The Athletic reported, while CONCACAF and U.S. Soccer have yet to comment and declined respectively.
Copa América 2028 Scheduling Challenges and Benefits
If the U.S. hosts Copa América 2028, there would be an overlap with the summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. While having a third international soccer tournament in the country in four years could contribute to further growth, potential complications could affect the final decision.
The Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 14, the same date the Copa América final took place in 2024. There will also be a soccer tournament as part of the Olympics, which could create logistical problems for countries competing in both. However, men’s Olympic soccer tournaments are traditionally made up of under-23 players with exceptions for three roster slots.
Other complications that affected the 2024 iteration, specifically pertaining to Major League Soccer, wouldn’t be an issue next time around. MLS is set to alter its yearly schedule to align with leading European leagues and others around the world starting in 2027. As such, the league wouldn’t have matches played during that summer like it did last time.
If the tournament does come back to the U.S., it would be a fourth major soccer tournament in the country since 2024, including the recent FIFA Club World Cup.
USMNT Want Copa América Revenge
The USMNT became the first Copa América host nation ever eliminated in the group stage of the tournament last time out. Losses to Panama and Uruguay underlined regression under former manager Gregg Berhalter with their exit serving as an inflection point.
The Copa América was billed as the final, true competitive test for the 2026 World Cup co-host. Given the result, Berhalter was relieved of his duties after the tournament as U.S. Soccer brought in Mauricio Pochettino.
While the USMNT struggled at first, results have started to turn in the Argentine’s favor. A squad without numerous stars even brushed aside Uruguay to close out 2025 earning some modicum of revenge.
Their focus is solely on next summer, but the USMNT are likely relishing an opportunity to rewrite history in 2028.
READ THE LATEST USMNT NEWS, REACTION AND ANALYSIS
This article was originally published on www.si.com as United States in Contention to Host 2028 Copa America—Report.
