Goodbye CONCACAF, hello CONMEBOL? How would a Mexico switch affect the Mexican national team and Liga MX?

On Aug 12, 2026

The possibility of Mexico leaving CONCACAF to join CONMEBOL has resurfaced amid the political crisis engulfing FIFA following the 2026 World Cup. The scenario remains a long way from becoming an official move, but if it were to happen, it would completely transform Mexico’s schedule, level of competition and even its path to the World Cup.

Journalist Martín del Palacio has suggested that the Mexican Football Federation’s support for Gianni Infantino could be linked, among other factors, to the possibility of facilitating an eventual switch of confederations. For now, there has been no public request from the FMF and no formal approval from FIFA or CONMEBOL, meaning the idea should be regarded as a possibility under discussion rather than a done deal.

The timing is significant. Mexico recently broke ranks with part of CONCACAF by continuing to back Infantino, while the regional governing body joined UEFA and the AFC in criticizing the FIFA president.

The biggest benefit: games at the highest level

From a sporting perspective, the switch would immediately make Mexico’s schedule considerably more demanding, both at club and international level, from the senior national team down through the youth categories.

Full membership of CONMEBOL would put El Tri into official competition against Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador and the rest of South America. These would no longer be occasional friendlies or tournaments in which Mexico participates as a guest – points and qualification would depend on regularly facing some of the strongest national teams in the world.

For a country that has historically been one of the dominant forces in its region, that increase in difficulty could accelerate Mexico’s adaptation to elite-level competition. The national team is already familiar with South American soccer through its previous Copa América appearances, while Liga MX clubs spent years competing in the Copa Libertadores.

CONCACAF itself records that Club América and Guadalajara began participating in the Libertadores in 1998. The downside would be obvious: competing successfully would become much harder.

World Cup qualification would no longer be relatively straightforward

The biggest drawback would come in qualifying. In CONCACAF, Mexico is usually among the national teams with the greatest resources, strongest rosters and deepest player pools. In CONMEBOL, it would enter a system in which every international window can involve long journeys, dramatically different geographical conditions and opponents capable of taking points both home and away.

That risk would be even greater if FIFA retained the current 48-team World Cup format. A potential expansion of the tournament to 64 teams has been raised in discussions about its future, but it cannot currently be treated as a confirmed change.

It would therefore be premature to assume that Mexico would remain virtually guaranteed a World Cup place if it competed in South America. On top of that, there has been talk of El Tri not only joining CONMEBOL competition at senior level but across all youth categories as well.

What would happen to Liga MX?

The consequences would not stop with the national teams. If Mexico were to switch confederations entirely, the status of its clubs would also have to be resolved. Liga MX teams currently qualify for international competition through the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which also provides routes into FIFA’s global competitions. CONCACAF lists Mexico as one of its 41 member associations, and its tournament structure is built around that membership.

Joining CONMEBOL could reopen the door to the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, an attractive prospect both commercially and competitively for Mexico’s biggest clubs. But it would also mean significantly longer journeys, greater physical demands and a schedule that could be extremely difficult to reconcile with Liga MX, the Leagues Cup and domestic competitions.

Australia shows that switching confederations is possible

Changing confederations is rare, but there is an important precedent.

Australia left the Oceania Football Confederation and officially joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006. FIFA currently recognizes Football Australia as an AFC member and records its entry into the Asian confederation that year.

That shows the boundaries between soccer’s confederations are not completely fixed. Mexico’s case, however, would carry far greater political and economic consequences because of the country’s importance within CONCACAF.

The possibility exists as a subject of discussion, but enormous institutional hurdles would still have to be overcome.

Mexico joining CONMEBOL would mean far more than swapping the Gold Cup for the Copa América. It would fundamentally change the way the Mexican national team and its clubs compete throughout an entire World Cup cycle.