CONCACAF and CONMEBOL have continually lived in separate universes — 41 nations across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean on one side; 10 South American countries on the other. But since 2023, the relationship has shifted from a diplomatic to a structural one. What began as cooperation has become technical, commercial, and competitive integration, already reshaping the soccer ecosystem across the hemisphere.
It is not a formal merger — not yet. But every signal points in that direction.
What Actually Changed After 2023
A strategic agreement signed two years ago opened the door to joint calendars, unified commercial products and cross-confederation competitions at three levels.
1. Men’s National Teams
The 2024 Copa América, hosted in the United States, brought together all 10 South American nations plus six CONCACAF qualifiers through the Nations League pathway.
The 2024 Copa América hosted in the United States brought together all 10 South American nations plus six CONCACAF qualifiers through the Nations League pathway.
The goals were explicit: raise competitive standards before the 2026 World Cup and maximize a premium tournament positioned in the world’s largest sports market.
2. Women’s National Teams
The 2024 W Gold Cup included Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Paraguay in a whole cross-confederation tournament.
The immediate impact: more high-level matches, broader visibility, and professional conditions that many emerging programs previously lacked.
3. Clubs
The confederations discussed an intercontinental Final Four: two Libertadores clubs vs. two Concacaf Champions Cup qualifiers.
Purpose: create real rivalries, deepen scouting, and accelerate technical exchange between MLS and South America’s elite clubs.
Victor Montagliani (CONCACAF) has described the integration as “mutually beneficial” — alignment without erasing identities.
Copa América 2028 in the United States?
Recent reporting from outlets such as The Athletic confirms that CONCACAF and CONMEBOL are in active negotiations to return the Copa América to U.S. soil in 2028, repeating the 10+6 model.
NEW @TheAthleticFC :
— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) December 1, 2025
Concacaf & Conmebol in talks for 2028 Copa America to be held in United States.
Would be third time U.S. has hosted the event in 12 years and would include Concacaf guest places again. Argentina/Ecuador remain host options too. https://t.co/XlxZNvxbAh
The incentive is obvious: ready-made infrastructure, a massive consumer market, and proximity to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Unified World Cup Qualifiers?
This is the most sensitive — and most transformative — discussion.
Current formats:
- CONMEBOL: a brutal round-robin for 4.5 spots.
- CONCACAF: 35 teams navigating phased qualifiers for 3.5 spots.
The proposal under review in Miami:
A single qualification race with roughly eight combined berths, organized in integrated competitive tiers.
It would be the most significant structural overhaul in the Americas since the 1990s.
The Rumor of a Full Merger
The commercial success of the 2024 Copa América revived the possibility of a single pan-American confederation — 51 national teams forming one of the strongest blocs outside UEFA, anchored by a definitive, unified Copa América.
But the obstacles are real:
- internal political structures,
- allocation of World Cup slots,
- travel distances from Toronto to Buenos Aires,
- preservation of the Gold Cup and Nations League.
Even so, for the first time, the idea no longer feels hypothetical. It also aligns with a broader trend: the rapid rise of Caribbean-heritage players born in Europe who have chosen to represent CONCACAF nations, raising the region's competitive ceiling.
This partnership already extends far beyond administration. It is a deliberate strategy to make soccer in the Americas more competitive, more global, and more commercially powerful.
The results are visible: packed stadiums, heightened visibility, increased cross-confederation exchange, and direct matchups that accelerate development.
If a Merger Actually Happens
The question is no longer if. The ongoing integration already surpasses early expectations.
The new question is: who wins — and who loses — when the entire continent competes as one?
One clear winner is the United States, which becomes the recurring stage for continental events and the geographic epicenter of a unified ecosystem. But the long-term balance of power — on the field and in the boardroom — remains the open question.
