[2] Brazil were the two-time defending champions, but they were knocked out of the tournament by Honduras after suffering a 0–2 defeat in the quarter-final.

Prior to the tournament, three meetings were held by CONMEBOL authorities who were concerned about potential security issues in Colombia.

[4][5] Venezuela offered to host the competition, but on 6 July CONMEBOL decided to reinstate the plans for Colombia, and the tournament was held on schedule.

When the tournament was originally cancelled, Canada disbanded its training camp and Canadian players returned to their club teams.

With only a few days' notice, Costa Rica (CONCACAF) accepted an invite to take Canada's spot in the tournament.

Complaining about the sudden reversal, and claiming that Argentine players had received death threats from terrorist groups, the Argentine Football Association decided to withdraw from the competition on 10 July, in spite of Colombian authorities proposing to implement additional protection measures.