2024-07-26 23:15:23
The poor condition of the pitches, the lack of security and the delays are some of the points that have triggered the most questions towards the country that will host the next Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup.
Beyond Argentina’s title, which won 1-0 over Colombia in the final of the America Cup, The holding of the contest showed a series of problems that led to scathing criticism by its protagonists (DT and players) and the fans, who suffered firsthand the chaos which led to the organization of the continental tournament.
The state of the fields, logistics and security outside and inside the stadiums These were the points that sparked questions, not only about the host country, but also about Conmebol.
However, what is most worrying about this dark panorama is that USA will be the next organizer of the Club World Cup and one of the headquarters of the World Cup 2026 (along with Mexico and Canada), which is why, due to all the problems that were evident throughout the cup, uncertainty arose regarding the possible complications that could occur in that country.
This is because the World Cup will not only feature 16 teams, but will also have to host 48 teams with their respective fans.
The state of the courts: the critical point in terms of sports
One of the first problems that became evident in the Copa América is related to the poor condition of the grass on the courts and their dimensions. This situation was exposed by several players and coaches, who did not hesitate to complain at press conferences.
“We’ve known for seven months that we’re playing here and they changed the grass two days ago,” lashed out Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni after their first match against Canada.
Marcelo Bielsa (DT of Uruguay) went further and said: “They held conferences to say that the fields were perfect, when I have a ton of photos as proof of its poor condition. They are a plague of liars.”
Along those lines, he deepened his criticism of the United States: “The Americans don’t tell you I give you a perfect courtThey tell you that they gave you one that was installed three days ago and that the joints in the grass do not close. The training camps were a disaster. Bolivia didn’t train, but of course, it’s Bolivia.”
The embarrassing fight between Uruguay players and Colombian fans that highlighted the lack of security in the stands
After Colombia’s 1-0 victory over Uruguay, The Celeste players climbed into the stands of the stadium to fight with the Colombian fansproviding a shameful image for the rest of the world.
After the dust had settled, the Uruguayan players turned their guns on the Colombian fans, who had allegedly tried to attack the players’ relatives who were in the stands.
“Please be careful because our families are in the stands. They made an avalanche, the fans of a certain sector of Colombia and they don’t let us speak on the microphone. “This is a disaster. Our family was in danger.” José María Giménez started saying.
In this sense, he justified his actions and those of his colleagues: “We had to go up into the stands to take out our loved ones with tiny newborn babies. It was a complete disaster, there wasn’t a single police officer. They were arrested half an hour later. It was a disaster and we were here defending our own people.”
In this context, Bielsa exploded in a press conference and stated: “You know who is responsible for protecting the fans in the stands. You have to ask me if the players have received an apology from those responsible for safeguarding security.”
“The players reacted as any human being would have done if they saw that there was no escape route or prevention and that their wife, their mother, a baby were being attacked,” added the Uruguay coach.
As a result of these statements, Conmebol opened a disciplinary file against the Rosario native.
Speaking about these comments, Canadian coach Jesse Marsch also criticised the organisation. “This tournament was unprofessional for me, there were too many problems with the treatment. “They treated us like second-class citizens,” he explained.
Income problems: the serious incidents that delayed the Copa America final
As if that were not enough, the Copa America final was not without problems either. The match between Argentina and Colombia was to be played at 8:00 p.m. However, the match was delayed for more than an hour due to serious incidents in the entrance area to Hard Rock Stadium.
Conmebol stated on its social media: “We inform that people who do not have tickets will not be able to enter the stadium. Only those who have purchased tickets will be able to enter once access is enabled again,” after it was decided to open the doors to the general public.
Given these facts, the ability of the United States to host the next Club World Cup (2025) and the 2026 World Cup is called into question, since what happened during this last month marks a a worrying precedent for the next major events in the king of sports.
