Copa America is the oldest international football tournament in the world but over the years with a rich legacy.
Historically, the Copa America has been contested by teams, who fall under the registered national federations of CONMEBOL, of which there currently are ten. All these teams are eligible for automatic qualification and since the competition’s rebranding in 1975, there has been only one occasion when one of those teams missed out on a tournament. In 2001, Argentina withdrew due to scheduling and security disagreements.
However, unlike the UEFA (The Union of European Football Associations) and CAF (Confederation of African Football), the CONMEBOL ( South American Football Confederation) does not have as many member nations and because of that, sometimes finds it difficult to hold a lengthy continental competitions like the European Championships, the Africa of Nations and the Asian Cup.
It is for this reason that the CONMEBOL, over the years, have invited guest nations to participate in the tournament and sometimes even to host the competition.
The USA, the host for the upcoming 2024 edition, and Mexico were the first nations outside the CONMEBOL to be invited in 1993. After that, countries like Qatar, Japan, Mexico, and Panama were invited to play in the Copa America.
Mexico has been a guest nation to make the most number of appearances with 11, with the United States second with five appearances.
List of Copa America invitees over the years
| Teams | Appearances | First | Latest |
| Mexico | 11 | 1993 | 2024 |
| Costa Rica | 6 | 1997 | 2024 |
| United States of America | 5 | 1993 | 2024 |
| Jamaica | 3 | 2015 | 2024 |
| Panama | 2 | 2016 | 2024 |
| Japan | 2 | 1999 | 2019 |
| Haiti | 1 | 2016 | - |
| Honduras | 1 | 2001 | - |
| Qatar | 1 | 2019 | - |
| Canada | 1 | 2024 | - |
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