All 10 CONMEBOL nations are set to join the UEFA Nations League in 2024, although all games will still be played in Europe.
This should lead to some fascinating matches with South American nations such as Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay squaring off against the best that the European continent has to offer.
News of the plans comes courtesy of ESPN’s Dale Johnson and it followed UEFA and CONMEBOL extended their Memorandum of Understanding, which commits them to organising joint football events until 2028.
The plan is for the six highest-ranked sides to enter into League A, which currently houses the likes of England, France and Germany.
Going on the current rankings these teams would be Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Peru and Chile. The other four sides, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia, would join League B.
Read also: Uruguay star Suarez vows never to visit Africa due to handball against Ghana
UEFA vice-president Zbigniew Boniek said: “This is the last UEFA Nations League in this format. We had a meeting with CONMEBOL, an organization of South American countries. From 2024, teams from this continent will join the competition.
“As many as 22 teams will play in League A, in which 16 teams are currently competing. Six of them will be from the CONMEBOL zone . The remaining four teams will be added to League B.
“Leagues C and D will be played on the same rules as now. Nothing will change. In what format will it be? We’re still working on it. The schedule of matches for the national teams is restricted so you can’t mix it up too much.”
The proposed changes come amid a backdrop of a significant power struggled between UEFA and FIFA. The latter is hell-bent on pushing forward on its plans for a biennial World Cup, despite opposition from across football.
UEFA recently published a report detailing the supposed economic shortcomings of the project and CONMEBOL do not support the proposals either. This strengthened relationship will give the two bodies more agency to resist the changes.
