Less than two weeks before its start, Brazil, the second country in the world with the most deaths from Covid-19, will host the 2021 Copa America between June 13 and July 10, although the dispute of the tournament is not 100% confirmed by the government of Jair Bolsonaro.
“The Conmebol Copa America 2021 will be played in Brazil! The start and end dates of the tournament are confirmed," announced Conmebol on its Twitter account, after Argentina and Colombia, the original venues, were left out of the race.
However, on Monday night, the Minister of the Civil House (cabinet), Luiz Eduardo Ramos, said that the realization of the tournament is not 100% confirmed.
"There is still nothing closed, I want to make this very clear. We are in the middle of the process. But we will not shy away from the demand, if it is possible to meet," Ramos declared in Brasilia.
The official explained that the government of Jair Bolsonaro has set several conditions to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) for the realization of the tournament, such as no audience and all members of the delegations to be vaccinated.
"That event, if it takes place, will not have an audience. For now, there are 10 teams, in two groups, there will be 65 people per delegation, all vaccinated. The venues will be the responsibility of the CBF. According to the choice of venues, they will consult with the states," the minister stated.
"Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will have a final position," he added.
Brazil, host and champion of the last Copa America in 2019, was one of the least mentioned countries in this round of names that emerged in recent days to replace Argentina and Colombia, although it is the one with the best infrastructure in the region to host the tournament, as it has a network of modern stadiums since the 2014 World Cup.
However, Brazil is one of the countries in the world most affected by the pandemic. With 212 million inhabitants, it totals 462,000 deaths from Covid, the second worst global balance, while it ranks third in the ranking of cases with more than 16 million infections.
It is expected that Conmebol will announce the venues and dates of the matches for the centennial national team tournament in the next few hours.
Early Monday, in the first reaction from the Brazilian government, Vice President Hamilton Mourao assured that the holding of the Copa America in his country has "less risk" than in Argentina, which is going through its worst moment of the pandemic.
"The advantage is the size of our country and the number of stadiums. The matches can be distributed" throughout the territory, Mourao said after leaving the Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia.
When arguing about the choice of the new venue for the Copa, the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Dominguez, stated that "the government of Brazil demonstrated agility and decision-making capacity at a crucial moment for South American football," according to the institution's website.
