The Copa America due to kick off in June in Argentina and Colombia was on Tuesday postponed by a year to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers CONMEBOL said.
The announcement came shortly after UEFA’s decision to also push back Euro by 12 months.
The Copa is South America’s main continental competition between national sides and had been scheduled to run between June 12-July 12.
The competition was being staged for the first time in two countries rather than one.
The finals featuring 12 teams, for this edition included invitees Australia and Qatar.
“It’s an extraordinary measure due to an unexpected situation, and therefore responds to the fundamental need to avoid an exponential evolution of the virus,” said CONMEBOL.
The tournament is now rescheduled to run from June 11-July 11 2021.
“We also thank UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin for working together and the co-ordinated decision to also postpone the 2020 Euros for the betterment of the whole football family,” added CONMEBOL.
The South American governing body had decided to align the Copa, which mostly used to be played in odd years, to the Euros in order to reduce the impact on European clubs, where a large number of South American internationalss ply their trade.