Copa América could return to the United States in 2028, bringing another chance for the USMNT to improve on its three-game exit in 2024. CONMEBOL and Concacaf are reportedly advancing discussions over staging the tournament in the U.S., although a hosting decision hasn’t been officially announced.
With Mauricio Pochettino committed through 2030, another Copa would give his team a demanding test two years before the next World Cup. The Americans’ participation also remains unconfirmed.
The proposed return has been accompanied by reports of an expansion from 16 to 20 teams. In 2024, CONMEBOL’s ten national teams competed alongside six Concacaf guests. Neither a larger field nor the allocation of places has been confirmed for 2028, so more teams wouldn’t necessarily mean more Concacaf qualifiers.
For the Americans, participation would continue a history that stretches back more than three decades. They’ve already played in five editions: 1993, 1995, 2007, 2016 and 2024. The United States hosted the last two of those. A 2028 appearance would be the team’s sixth, and hosting would be the country’s third.
Even playing at home hasn’t always guaranteed entry. The USMNT earned its 2024 place by beating Trinidad and Tobago 4–2 on aggregate in the Nations League quarterfinals in November 2023. The arrangements for 2028 haven’t been announced. Hosting, qualification and expansion remain separate decisions.
Two semifinal runs before the 2024 setback
The U.S. and Mexico became the competition’s first guests from outside South America in 1993, when Ecuador hosted. American involvement therefore began long before Copa América started using U.S. stadiums. It’s an established part of the tournament’s history, rather than a new development attached to the 2028 reports.
The Americans also have results worth trying to match. They beat Argentina 3–0 in the 1995 group stage and reached the semifinals before finishing fourth. Another semifinal appearance followed at the 2016 Centenario, again ending in fourth place. A deep run isn’t something the USMNT would be attempting for the first time.
The 2024 campaign went the other way. A 2–0 opening victory over Bolivia was followed by a 2–1 defeat to Panama and a 1–0 loss to Uruguay. Three points left the Americans third in their group and out before the quarterfinals, despite playing every match at home.
U.S. Soccer dismissed Gregg Berhalter nine days after the Uruguay defeat. A return would offer a direct comparison with the tournament that preceded the coaching change, while giving Pochettino a chance to build on his own World Cup campaign.
In 2026, his team won its group and beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0 in the round of 32, recording the program’s first World Cup knockout victory since 2002. Belgium then ended the run with a 4–1 win in the round of 16. The Americans had advanced beyond the group stage, but the heavy defeat left a demanding standard for the next cycle.
The player pool is changing too. Mathis Albert and Julian Hall both scored in September’s 4–2 victory over Chile. For players establishing themselves now, a Copa América could offer tournament experience against South American opposition before the next World Cup.
In 2024, the Americans were spectators by the quarterfinals. A return in 2028 would give them a chance to change that.
