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U.S. Soccer boss Carlos Cordeiro: No decision on Gold Cup after 2021

United States Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro said that no decision has been made on if the Gold Cup will continue after 2021.

"The Gold Cup is only legislated for this year and 2021, so it could go on but it may not happen," he said, according to The Athletic.

The tournament that pits CONCACAF nations -- composed of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean -- against each other every two years. The United States is primarily hosting the 2019 edition this summer in 15 venues across the country, with two group-stage matches being played in Costa Rica. The U.S. has served as host or co-host for the tournament since the current format was implemented in 1991. 

Cordeiro said there have been discussion about the North American countries joining their South American counterparts in a tournament. 

"There have been talks in the last year between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF on a kind of combined Copa America," he said, "but they haven't been able to come to an agreement on that."

In 2016, CONMEBOL -- South America's 10-nation federation -- invited four North American teams (the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica) in one-time version to celebrate the Copa America's centennial anniversary. The U.S. played host, with Chile beating Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. 

The 2019 Copa America -- hosted by Brazil and with invited guests Qatar and Japan -- will largely coincide with the Gold Cup. 

Cordeiro also said the FIFA Confederations Cup  is "done and over with." That tournament takes place one year before each World Cup as a test-run of sorts for the host nation, with the contentinental champions and defending World Cup holder participating.  

"In place of Confederations Cup there will be intracontinental playoffs to get to that 48-team [World Cup]," Cordeiro said. 

FIFA is yet to decide whether the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will expand to 48 teams. But Cordeiro thinks the Arab country will be hard-pressed to host that many sides. 

"Qatar has accepted that they don't have the facilities," Cordeiro said. "They have eight stadiums, but that's not enough to run a 48-team tournament."

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