Copa America can go ahead in Brazil, court rules

The Supreme Court in Brazil has ruled that the Copa America can go ahead in the country as planned.

The competition, which is set to start on Sunday, has been a subject of controversy after initial hosts Argentina were stripped of the rights less than two weeks to kickoff.

Defending champions Brazil were then announced as the hosts by the South American football federation, CONMEBOL.

Following calls for cancelation, Judges held an emergency session on Thursday to consider requests to halt the competition in Brazil because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read Also: Copa America moved to Brazil after Argentina, Colombia stripped of hosting rights

It was argued that hosting the tournament would endanger the lives of thousands of people.

But the judges said that the Brazilian constitution did not give the court the power to block it, adding that state governors and city mayors should do more to ensure “appropriate health protocols” are respected.

Meanwhile, the Copa America would be staged behind closed doors amid the pandemic.

Teams face mandatory testing every 48 hours, and their movements will be restricted as they will travel to host cities aboard chartered flights.

The tournament was initially billed to hold in 2020, but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was also originally to be hosted by Colombia and Argentina, but both countries backed out.

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