NEW YORK: The United States Soccer Federation wants the two regional football confederations in the Americas to create a high-profile joint national teams championship – starting next year writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

USSF president Carlos Cordeiro has written to the 10 member countries of South America’s CONMEBOL, inviting them to  a feasibility study meeting in Miami with their neighbours from CONCACAF, the central and North American body.

The close entanglement of the two confederations was placed under a harsh spotlight in 2015 by the FIFAGate investigation run by the US judicial authorities which has brought more than 40 senior football executives to justice for corruption.

Simultaneously the US hosted a centenary anniversary ‘edition’ of the Copa America in 2016.

World federation FIFA may resist being rushed into approval because president Gianni Infantino is hoping, next month, to persuade his governing council – also meeting in Miami – to endorse proposals for an upheaval of the international calendar with a revamped Club World Cup and entirely new Global Nations League.

CONMEBOL is expected to be in favour of Cordeiro’s proposal both because of its money-making potential and because of the power potential of a closer political alignment ahead of a World Cup cohosting bid for 2030 from Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile.

However, some of CONCACAF’s small member nations in the Caribbean may harbour doubts for fear that the new competition would affect the revenues which accrue from the established CONCACAF Gold Cup which is staged every two years.

European governing body UEFA may also have reservations that the Americas event would cut across worldwide promotion and projection of its European Championship whose next finals will also be staged in June and July of next year.

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