MIAMI, USA (AFP) — North American football officials took another step toward organising the Copa America Centenario next year in the United States on Wednesday by ending their tournament rights relationship with Datisa.

CONCACAF announced the end of its commercial rights deal with Datisa, whose accounts were frozen as part of the US Justice Department investigation into global football corruption that has shaken the core leadership of FIFA and CONCACAF.

Termination of the deal from March of last year means commercial rights to the tournament revert to CONCACAF, which together with South American counterpart CONMEBOL were planning to stage a 16-nation event in the United States next June.

“CONCACAF and Datisa have agreed to end their relationship for the sale of sponsorship and broadcast rights associated with Copa America Centenario,” CONCACAF said in a statement.

CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and local operating partners, presumably the US Soccer Federation, but potentially other federations in Mexico and Canada as well, will be tasked with identifying and selecting new partners to market and sell commercial rights for the Copa America Centenario “using a new and transparent process”.

A CONCACAF statement said the Copa America deal was the only rights contract with Datisa and its end will have no impact on the marketing or operations of any other CONCACAF tournaments.

South America’s 10 teams were set to be joined by the US and Mexican teams plus four others from CONCACAF, including Jamaica, in the special Copa event to mark the tournament’s 100th annivesary.