Football FIFA looks askance: The list of Copa America embarrassments that are worrying ahead of the 2026 World CupExclusive subscriber

Until the last day, with hot flashes. From start to finish, the Copa América 2024 was marked by poor organization . A series of unusual events has become the trend of the continental competition planned by Conmebol. Especially when the 2026 World Cup will take place in almost two years, in which countries such as Canada and Mexico will also participate. It should be noted, however, that the competition was organized by Conmebol. Beyond that, the state of the fields and the serious organizational deficiencies pointed out by the various players in the competition continue to raise concerns.

In the final, the shame increased. The match had to be postponed for more than an hour. In detail, it started one hour and 22 minutes later than originally planned. This happened after hundreds of Colombian national team supporters caused unrest at the entrance to Hard Rock Stadium.

The desire to enter at all costs to watch the match led to clashes between fans and security personnel. The fans seized the entrances, jumped over the fences and destroyed part of the building. The result left several people unconscious and injured.

As a prelude, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni, almost foreseeing what could happen, called for calm: “As I have a microphone, I have the chance to say it, we are in charge of transmitting this. It is something basic. The pictures of the semi-final seem to be from 50 years ago and it was the other day. I am sending this message which I think should be well received “, he noted, recalling the problems during the duel against Uruguay.

The tournament will remain in the collective memory of football fans as its most controversial version. The balance sheet includes multiple controversial and controversial aspects. The state of the fields, the training grounds, the VAR and the complaints of a large number of coaches are a reflection of the organizational disaster that the Paraguay-based entity represents.

What happened immediately brought to mind Marcelo Bielsa’s words.We are in the United States, so to speak, the country of security. “If they had not done it, they would have been condemned by everyone, how can you not defend your mother, your sister, your baby. How can you not defend them if the arguments to prevent this fail: prevention and escape,” he said during his incendiary press conference.

The man from Rosario also recalled other controversies after the fight between the Uruguayan players.All the lies they told, that the pitches are perfect, or that the training pitches are perfect and Bolivia didn’t train, they’re a plague of liars, and I’ve already said everything I promised myself I wouldn’t say. (…) The field manager, who knows perfectly well what she is doing and how badly she is doing it, held a press conference to say that it is something visual,” he said.

The blow was felt around the world. However, Alejandro Domínguez chose silence. The Conmebol boss went to the field of the Miami campus to analyze his condition, in an image that went around the world.

To top it all off, the final was not just about that. Conmebol focused on the spectacle and made a change that did not generate consensus. At the anthem ceremony, Karol G sang the one for Colombia and Abel Pintos sang the one for Argentina. So far, so good, however, At halftime, a situation that had been discussed occurred. The South American organization decided to extend the halftime by ten minutes (it was 25 in total) for Shakira to sing .

It was the latest controversy in a Copa America plagued by them. For many, it was the worst edition of the competition in the modern era.

The competition began with controversy after a curious religious sermon at the opening ceremony. This was with the approval of Domínguez, who is close to one of the pastors. This action violates the regulations of FIFA and Conmebol itself, since their rules establish political and religious neutrality.

Added to this were the numerous refereeing controversies, as well as the problematic and erratic functioning of the VAR. La Roja, for example, with the arbitrations of Andrés Matonte and Wilmar Roldán.

Against Argentina, the national team blamed two specific situations on the Uruguayan. First, a slap from Cristian Romero on Víctor Dávila, which they asked Chile for as a penalty. Then, an alleged expulsion of Rodrigo de Paul for violently trampling Gabriel Suazo.

Against Canada, meanwhile, the Colombian failed to notice a notorious elbow from Moise Bombito even after five minutes of play. It was a clear attack that was also disallowed by VAR and could have changed the outcome of the match. However, the game continued as if nothing had happened. A few minutes later, Gabriel Suazo was sent off. The full-back received a second yellow card after committing a dubious offence. It is worth mentioning that complaints about this have come from different sides.

For the BBC, the Chilean team was the team most affected: “Despite the support of technology, this Copa America has seen controversial decisions that, for many, should no longer be presented with video refereeing (VAR). Chile was the team considered most affected “, reported the prestigious English media.

La Roja not only suffered in terms of refereeing, but also in terms of organization. The ANFP even filed a formal complaint with Conmebol awaiting a response after a series of incidents suffered by the national team.

Saturday, June 22 marked the beginning of an unforgettable day. First, their flight from Dallas to New Jersey was delayed due to a thunderstorm. The trip usually takes three hours and 40 minutes, but it took an extra 60 minutes due to a logistical issue at Newark Liberty International Airport. As they were about to land, the pilot told them they did not have permission to do so. There was a delay and a line of planes in front of theirs, as well as a crowd on the runways. Because of the wait, they had to circle in the air for an hour.

Once settled in New Jersey, they had to wait an hour at the airport for Donald Trump to arrive. The former president of the United States and current candidate for the White House was arriving at the site and, for security reasons, the Chilean delegation and the rest of the population had to wait for his departure.

They arrived at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where the disagreements continued. Nervousness and annoyance increased as The venue did not have laundry facilities depending on the size of the delegation . There was also a risk of fire at the premises. due to a problem in the kitchen, which activated an emergency protocol due to smoke. The hall had to be evacuated, but not entirely.

Furthermore, At first, they did not deliver some rooms that the Reds needed, where the national team’s “clinic” was later set up, in addition to the massage area.

In the meantime, they also had problems with the practice field at Yurcak Field, a Rutgers University field. located about 50 miles from New Jersey. Favoring the condition of the field, they decided to change fields. The problem was that the locker room was a ten-minute walk away, a journey they had to make in the rain.

Questions came from all sides. Lionel Scaloni launched himself against the organization.We have known for seven months that we are going to play here and they changed the grass two days ago. Today’s grass is not suitable for this type of player. ” said the Argentine coach.

Jesse Marsch also had a tense conference. The Canadian coach threw everything out and accused him of racism: “This tournament was not professional for me; too many problems with the agreement ” he began to emphasize.

“We received racist insults, live and on social media, throughout the tournament. They treated us like second-class citizens. “he added.

In Brazil, it’s always the same. The Canarinhas demanded a change of hotel because, according to them, the Westin Lake did not have the necessary infrastructure for their work. They went to the Renaissance, where they did not receive the expected welcome. They had to enter through the back door and had to climb several floors with their luggage.

“We are not criminals to enter here ” complained Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation.