The 2020 Copa America has been postponed until next year due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus.
The tournament, originally scheduled to take place between June 12th and July 12th this year has been pushed back until 2021, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) confirmed.
The news comes after UEFA's decision to also postpone Euro 2020 until the following year.
While the Covid-19 pandemic is (hopefully) not going to be an issue in June, the Copa America's postponement will potentially make way for domestic South American leagues to take place during the summer.
Debido a la evolución mundial del Coronavirus y con el objetivo de salvaguardar la salud del fútbol sudamericano, @CONMEBOL aplaza la celebración de la 47 edición de Copa América a las fechas del 11 de junio al 11 de julio de 2021
📌 https://t.co/dTArt3ylaj pic.twitter.com/nPfo2HxAdd
— Copa América (@CopaAmerica) March 17, 2020
Domestic football in South America had already come to a halt, with leagues suspended due to fears over the deadly bug.
The Copa Libertadores was recently brought to a standstill after player strikes over matches still being played during the pandemic.
Like CONMEBOL, UEFA have acted swiftly in stopping their club competitions, as both the Champions League and Europa League finals have been postponed by a month.
The 2020 Copa America was set to be the first competition to take place in more than one country for the first time since 1983, with Argentina and Colombia selected as hosts.
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