Asuncion (AFP) – South American football’s governing body on Saturday postponed the two rounds of 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for the end of the month because of travel restrictions affecting European-based players.
The decision to call off the double matchday, which was set to take place on March 25-26 and 30, was “due to the inability to have all the South American players in a timely manner,” CONMEBOL said in a tweet.
The confederation said it would study the options available in order to reprogramme the matches postponed.
FIFA has given clubs dispensation to prevent players who may be affected by coronavirus regulations from joining up with their countries during the upcoming international window.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Friday joined Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp in threatening to stop his players from travelling for internationals if they would be required to quarantine on their return.
Under current coronavirus guidelines, players arriving in Britain from “red-list” countries, including Brazil and Argentina, are subject to 10 days’ hotel confinement.
Brazil had been due to play Argentina in Recife on March 30, in a meeting of the top two countries in South American qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
