The Socceroos will not compete at the Copa America this year due to a scheduling conflict with their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Australia were set to make their debut at the continental tournament, which will be hosted by Argentina and Colombia in June and July, as one of two guest nations along with Qatar.
However, significant changes to the Socceroos’ road to Qatar 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic have forced Football Australia’s hand, with the Asian Football Confederation moving forward some international dates.
The Socceroos’ next World Cup qualifier is set to be away to Nepal on March 30 before their second-round campaign continues in June – with Australia tipped to host the remaining three matches involving Graham Arnold’s men on home soil.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson expressed his regret that the Socceroos won’t feature at the 47th edition of the CONMEBOL showpiece – a tournament that the team were invited to in 2019.
“It is with great disappointment that Australia cannot feature at the Copa America in 2021,” Johnson said in a Football Australia statement.
“Regrettably, the international football calendar, including our FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification schedule, has been significantly disrupted over the past 12 months by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“On behalf of the Australian football community, I would like to thank CONMEBOL for their warm invitation to the tournament, as well as their continued dialogue regarding our participation over the past year.
“We would also like to thank AFC and FIFA which supported our invitation to the tournament.”
Socceroos coach Arnold, who previously said Australia would have to knock back the Copa invitation if it clashes with World Cup qualification matches, echoed Johnson’s sentiments.
“The Socceroos’ players and staff were greatly looking forward to the unique opportunity of playing in the Copa America and it is unfortunate that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be unable to attend in 2021,” Arnold said.
“On behalf of the team I thank CONMEBOL for the invitation, which would have presented our team with a fantastic opportunity to test itself against some of the world’s best.”
The Copa America, the oldest tournament in international soccer, was postponed in 2020 due to coronavirus and is due to be hosted in two nations for the first time.
With the Socceroos and Qatar unable to be involved at this year’s event, CONMEBOL spokesman Ariel Ramirez said other national teams had already expressed interest in replacing them.
“There is a calendar issue that stopped Australia and Qatar, but we have already seen interest from other national teams to play as guests in their place,” Ramirez told Associated Press.
“We would like to have 12 teams.”
Although he added that the Copa America would be played with the usual 10 teams if required.
The tournament is scheduled to kick off in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 11 and end with the final in Barranquilla, Colombia on July 10.
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
Socceroos loss not playing in the coppa America.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Fun fact: Guyana isn't the only South American nation who compete in CONCACAF, there's also Suriname and French Guiana. I think they must have had the same idea.
Micko
Roar Rookie
And geez...NZ are better than that ranking I feel.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Why are two nations ranked #190?
Nick Symonds
Guest
CURRENT OFC FIFA RANKINGS 119 New Zealand 139 Solomon Islands 155 New Caledonia 158 Tahiti 165 Fiji 166 Vanuatu 169 PNG 190 Cook Islands 190 American Samoa 197 Samoa 203 Tonga - *Solomon Islands had a crowd of 23k for their grand final last season. That's in a nation with a population of just 670 thousand. It reached 1.46 million on Facebook. The capital of Honiara has just 84,520 people.
Micko
Roar Rookie
They might actually win some games in CONCACAF though.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Guyana has a population under 800k and a FIFA ranking of 167. CONCACAF is probably a better option for them, but CONMEBOL and CONCACAF will each get 6 places in a 48-team World Cup format. CONMEBOL has 10 members while CONCACAF has 41 members. Either way they'll have a challenge. CURRENT CONCACAF RANKINGS 1 Mexico (128 million) 2 United States (330 million) 3 Costa Rica (5 million) 4 Honduras (9.7 million) 5 Jamaica (3 million) 6 Canada (38 million) - 7 Panama (4.2 m) 8 Haiti (11.2 m) 9 Guatemala (16.6 m) 10 El Salvador (6.4 m) 11 Martinique (376 k) 12 Trinidad & Tobago (1.4 m) 13 Curaçao (157 k) 14 Cuba (11.3 million) 15 Suriname (581 k) 16 Guadeloupe (395 k) 17 Bermuda (64 k) 18 French Guiana (291 k) 19 Guyana (783 k) - 31 Puerto Rico (US territory) (3 million)
Micko
Roar Rookie
Keep dreaming!
Micko
Roar Rookie
My guess is Guyana probably prefer to be in CONCACAF.
Gary David
Roar Rookie
Test, or embarrassment? Maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think the tournament would have just showed how far off we are.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
New Zealand should deff take up the opportunity to play in it but there is talk from Wellington Nix supporters that a All Whites vs Socceroo's game is on the table.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
An away game in Nepal in March? Good luck with that.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
you sense wrong. No sarcasm whatsoever. I'm with you, it would be great for them and probably fits their schedule. Cost may be an issue.
Wokester
Guest
Real shame missing this particular event. Would have been a real test to see where Australian soccer is at. A bit of shame Australia did not get to join CONMEBOL instead of Asia FC. Mind you, I doubt the South Americans would ever entertain having us join as they don't even let in nations that are located in South America, like Guyana. But if we had a choice to move, Asia would have been second on my choice list to South America.
I.dalzell@bigpond.com
Guest
I sense a certain amount of sarcasm in your comment which , if my assumption is correct, is unjustified. Why should they not apply ? They are in a different Confederation from us & their WC qualification dates may not clash. I think it's great that another country from our geographical region can fly the flag & help improve football in our region.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
My bet - NZ will pursue a place.