U.S. Soccer president: Gold Cup could be nixed after 2021

New York - US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro says the FIFA Confederations Cup will not be played again and the biennial CONCACAF Gold Cup could be scrapped after 2021.

Cordeiro made the comments in a report on The Athletic website after earlier remarks at US Soccer's annual general meeting.

The eight-nation Confederations Cup has been contested every year before the World Cup since 2005, with continental champions and reigning World Cup champions joined by the upcoming World Cup host.

But FIFA scrapped the event ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup given its winter scheduling due to extreme heat and Cordeiro says it won't return in favor of more playoffs ahead of an expanded World Cup.

"It's done and over with," he told The Athletic. "In place of Confederations Cup there will be intracontinental playoffs to get to that 48-team (World Cup)."

Cordeiro added that the Gold Cup, which features nations in the North American region and is mainly hosted in US venues in June and July, could be ended after this year and 2021.

"The Gold Cup is only legislated for this year and 2021, so it could go on but it may not happen," he said. "There have been talks in the last year between (South American federation) CONMEBOL and CONCACAF on a kind of combined Copa America but they haven't been able to come to an agreement on that."

Gold Cup organizers and regional governing body CONCACAF, in a statement Tuesday, said it is committed to the Gold Cup through 2023 and beyond.

"Following recent media reports, CONCACAF clarifies that it is fully committed to the CONCACAF Gold Cup and confirms that the 2019, 2021 and 2023 editions are part of the FIFA Calendar," the statement said.

"Additionally, once the new FIFA calendar is produced after 2023, CONCACAF will continue organizing the pinnacle event of our confederation."