Looking to expand into new markets, new CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) president Juan Ángel Napout hopes to extend Copa Libertadores invitations to CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) teams, particularly Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, in the near future.

"It is important that this happens for the relationship between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF," said Ángel Napout to Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo. "After all, America is one. This is an idea that interests everyone. This is an idea that would interest the entire world."

According to the Folha de Sao Paulo, CONMEBOL is said to be willing to work with CONCACAF due to their interest in attracting MLS's participation in the Copa Libertadores tourney -- South America's version of UEFA's Champions League. CONMEBOL has their eye on the U.S. market with MLS outdrawing all but Argentina's Primera División league in attendance.

Recent research by Brazilian consulting firm Pluri found that MLS's Seattle Sounders FC soccer club has the third-highest average attendance in the Western Hemisphere at 43,124 fans per game, only trailing Argentina's Primera División club River Plate (49,368) and Club America of Mexico's Liga MX (44,567). Folha de Sao Paulo also noted that the 2013 MLS Cup had a higher attendance (18,743) than their country's title game (14,951).

"There is a great deal of potential from a brand perspective to gain. The marketability of the league could grow immensely," says soccer analyst Juan Arango to Latin Post. "The league is known outside its own borders and is making inroads, but there is a potential for even more. MLS teams playing against the best competition in America would also be a better measure as to how far the league really has gone."

CONMEBOL has already begun to make headway into the North American, Central American, and Caribbean markets by teaming up with CONCACAF to celebrate the centennial edition of Copa America, which will be played in the United States in 2016. The 16-team field will include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, as well as Mexico and host nation the United States.

The winner of the 2014 Caribbean Championship, will be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica Nov. 10 through Nov. 18. Meanwhile, the winner of the Central American Cup USA kicks off with a triple-header at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 3, with the final being held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The final two spots for the 2016 Centennial Copa America will be determined in a special tournament between the four national teams that advanced the furthest in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup that have not already qualified.

"Ángel Napout is looking to further extend the relations between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF," says Arango. "Obviously the expectations set in the 2016 Copa América will be what help generate even more interest in further competition between the two regions."

Mexicans teams, who are members of CONCACAF, currently participate in Copa Libertadores. However, should a Liga MX team win the South American tournament, they cannot represent CONMEBOL in the FIFA Club World Cup tourney at the end of the year. That tourney would pit winning teams from around the world, including the UEFA Champions League champion, against one another to determine a definitive world champion. Liga MX teams must still win the CONCACAF Champions League if they expect to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup tournament, despite their participation in Copa Libertadores.

Only Cruz Azul in 2001 (who lost to Argentina's Boca Juniors) and Chivas Guadalajara in 2010 (who was defeated by Campeonato Brasileiro Série A team Sports Club Internacional) have made it to Copa Libertadores finals, but both have failed to win.

If MLS were to participate in Copa Libertadores, the North American soccer league would have to make similar adjustments that Liga MX has made to be able to compete, among other changes.

"MLS would have to start to look at restructuring salary caps and other intricacies the league has in order to have a squad be able to compete on 2-3 fronts during a tournament," says Arango. "Also, there is the fact that MLS teams would still be nearly a month and a half away from the beginning of their season and they would have to be playing Copa Libertadores qualifying rounds as well as the group stage. Then there is the logistics aspect of it all that makes many in the U.S. soccer media cringe. Having to travel from Seattle to Buenos Aires on a midweek is not the easiest commute. The argument against that is that every team has to travel."

Despite the hurdles, Arango believes playing in Copa Libertadores would be great in the long-run for MLS.

"MLS is one of the top leagues from an organizational standpoint, but there are still improvements that need to be made in order to look at it in the light where it can threaten the best leagues in the region like Mexico, Brazil, etc." says Arango. "U.S. squads -- MLS or even NASL [North American Soccer League] -- have to face the best and beat them in order to be considered the best on the pitch. They are close to getting there, but need stiffer competition in order to be more battle-tested and hardened when the time comes."

Ángel Napout will bring the matter up in upcoming CONMEBOL meetings to gauge the interest and logistics of such possible expansion. While MLS is open to the idea, the American soccer league is currently focused on making strides in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

"Major League Soccer has always been interested in participating in respected, international tournaments like the Copa Libertadores. Also, we've been fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with CONMEBOL," says MLS spokeswoman Marisabel Munoz to Latin Post. "At this time, our clubs are currently focused on succeeding in the CONCACAF Champions League and eventually participating in the FIFA Club World Cup. We have not received an invitation to Copa Libertadores, and we look forward to exploring opportunities."

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