Within the framework of the Compliance and Integrity Summit, held in Colombia, the legal director of CONMEBOL, Monserrat Jiménez, provided details about the projects the organization is working on and gave hints about key modifications for the future of South American football.
"We have many tournaments that are 'in the works' and we hope that in November they can be approved. At this moment we can't break the news," she anticipated in a conversation with DSports. Among these projects, one of the most important is the redesign of the Qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup, which will feature three South American teams already qualified due to their status as hosts.
Jiménez anticipa el rediseño de las Eliminatorias Sudamericanas
Jiménez explained that the challenge is to find a format that keeps competitiveness and public interest: "More than ten different options were proposed, but we couldn't reach an agreement. We believe that by November the latest proposal will be good. It will be a completely different format, which will position us at a global level".
She also referred to the economic approach being sought for the future: "We are already the most difficult Qualifiers in the world; now we have to be the ones that generate the most revenue".
The Paraguayan official confirmed that South America will keep six and a half spots for the World Cup, which will leave three and a half places up for grabs. She also revealed that there is consideration for the qualifiers to also serve to grant spots to other international tournaments. "Everything is possible. There are many things on the table and we are on the right track", she stated.
Copa América 2028 in Ecuador?
Regarding the next continental national team competition, Jiménez recalled that according to tradition, Ecuador should be the host, although she clarified that the decision has not yet been made: "Several proposals are being evaluated. The last two editions were in Brazil. It should be Ecuador, but it is still under consideration".
La Copa América 2028 podría hacerse en Ecuador
She also highlighted that the economic success of the last Copa América in the United States will be a demanding benchmark for the next edition: "The bar was set very high in terms of revenue, and when one pays a price to the national teams, one can't lower it afterward, only raise it. We are evaluating markets to generate more and more resources and promote the development of football in the region".
