After all the talk, the 2016 Copa América Centenario has finally been confirmed and the United States will host the 100th anniversary of the oldest international continental football competition. CONMEBOL, the governing body for South America has been able to finalise the discussions with CONCACAF, their North and Central American counterparts and sealed a deal which will see the tournament run from June 3rd to June 26th 2016.

All ten CONMEBOL nations will be joined by hosts, USA, in addition to México, Costa Rica and Jamaica plus a further two CONCACAF sides to complete the line-up of sixteen.

In a joint statement, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL said: “We are extremely happy for the fans, our teams and our partners, to have found the way to celebrate the Copa América Centenario in the United States, under a completely new structure. The improved structure will bring greater accountability and transparency to the event, in such away to meet its two purposes – to celebrate the 100 year history of the Copa América,and provide a unique spectacle for fans in the regions of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.”

Quite how the tournament will be viewed by the CONMEBOL nations is another matter. Given that it is being contested by an even greater number of ‘invited nations’ and is even being played outside the continent, it is not even entirely clear if the winners will be listed among the official holders of the trophy. CONMEBOL will no doubt release further information in due course but one way or another, there will be a Copa América in 2016.