CONMEBOL cuts Copa America Centenario marketing ties with Datisa

Perhaps the highest hurdle for Copa America Centenario to take place in the United States next summer as originally planned has been cleared.

CONMEBOL has cut tournament marketing ties with Datisa, the South American confederation announced on Friday. That could pave the way for the tournament to go ahead in the USA, with the firm's involvement in the competition being a major hang-up for potential organizing host U.S. Soccer, according to SI's Grant Wahl.

The marketing organization, a joint venture of Traffic Sports, Full Play and Torneos y Competencias, is heavily implicated in the U.S. Justice Department's indictment of FIFA executives and officials, linked to over $100 million in bribes over Copa America Centenario alone.

In the indictment of Datisa's executives it reads, “In connection with the acquisition of the media rights to the Copa América and Centenario tournaments from CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, Datisa agreed to pay $110 million in bribes to the defendants Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel [a Venezuelan CONMEBOL exec], José Maria Marin [the former Brazilian federation president] and Nicolas Leóz [the former CONMEBOL president], and several other soccer officials. Datisa agreed to make these payments at various times over the life of the contracts. At least $40 million has been paid to date.”

In CONMEBOL's statement, the confederation said that it will work with the U.S. Soccer Federation and CONCACAF to seek a new partner for marketing and commercial rights in a transparent process.

ESPNFC reported on Thursday that an announcement regarding the USA hosting Copa America Centenario is imminent, and Friday's development would figure to play a large role in that transpiring. ESPNFC's report also stated that the final for the tournament, which includes all 10 CONMEBOL teams and six CONCACAF entrants (USA and Mexico among them), would be held at the Rose Bowl, while one semifinal is slated for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

GALLERY: Faces of the FIFA scandal

Faces of the FIFA Scandal

Sepp Blatter

FIFA president

Jerome Valcke

FIFA general secretary

Michel Platini

UEFA president; FIFA Vice President; FIFA presidential hopeful

Jack Warner

Ex–CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Jeffrey Webb

Ex–Cayman Islands federation and CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Chuck Blazer

Ex-CONCACAF general secretary; FIFA executive committee

Alfredo Hawit

CONCACAF President; FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Honduras football federation

Juan Angel Napout

CONMEBOL president, FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Paraguay football federation

Jose Luis Meiszner

CONMEBOL general secretary

Marco Polo del Nero

Former FIFA executive committee; President, Brazil football federation

Ricardo Teixeira

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Brazil football federation

Eduardo Li

Ex–Costa Rica federation president; FIFA, CONCACAF executive committees

Eugenio Figueredo

Ex–Uruguay federation and CONMEBOL president; FIFA Vice President

Jose Maria Marin

Ex–Brazil federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Rafael Salguero

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Guatemalan football federation

Manuel Burga

FIFA development committee; Former president, Peru football federation

Ariel Alvarado

Former president, Panama football federation; FIFA disciplinary committee

Eduardo Deluca

Former CONMEBOL, Argentina football federation general secretary

Luís Chiriboga

CONMEBOL executive committee; President, Ecuador football federation

Rafael Callejas

FIFA television and marketing committee; Former president, Honduras; Former president, Honduras football federation

Rafael Esquivel

Ex–Venezuela federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Carlos Chavez

CONMEBOL treasurer; Former president, Bolivia football federation

Nicolas Leoz

Ex–CONMEBOL president, FIFA executive committee

Julio Rocha

Ex–Nicaragua federation and Central American Football Union president

Romer Osuna

FIFA audit and compliance committee; Former CONMEBOL treasurer.

Alejandro Burzaco

CEO of Torneos y Competencias

Aaron Davidson

President, Traffic Sports USA

Hugo Jinkis

President, Full Play Group

Mariano Jinkis

Vice President, Full Play Group

Loretta Lynch

U.S. Attorney General

Michael Lauber

Switzerland Attorney General