Copa America Controversies: From Qatar playing as guest nation to questionable host selections

The 2024 Copa America was expected to be hosted by Ecuador due to CONMEBOL’s host rotation order. However, in November 2022, the country surprisingly declined to host the tournament.

Uruguay's team captain Diego Lugano runs with the trophy after his team defeated Paraguay in the Copa America final soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday July 24, 2011. Uruguay won the Copa America for a record 15th time after beating Paraguay 3-0 with two goals scored by Diego Forlan and one by Luis Suarez. (AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia) | Photo Credit: AP

The upcoming 48th edition of the Copa America will bring together some of the most famous players of the sport.

The traditionally CONMEBOL organised tournament will be held in the United States and co-organized by CONCACAF this time around.

Earlier, the 2024 Copa America was expected to be hosted by Ecuador due to CONMEBOL’s host rotation order. However, in November 2022, the country surprisingly declined to host the tournament and Peru and the United States had both expressed interest in organising the tournament. Ultimately, the United States was chosen as the host.

This is not the only controversy of the world’s oldest football tournament involving national teams, the history of South American continental showpiece event has been smeared with controversial incidents.

Here’s a list of top controversies from the history of Copa America:

Qatar playing as guest nation

Copa America is known for including several inviting nations outside CONMEBOL to participate in the tournament, however, the selection of those countries have drawn huge criticisms at times. Ahead of the 2019 edition which was held in Brazil, CONMEBOL announced that three nations each from CONCACAF and AFC. From the Asian continent Qatar and Japan joined the tournament which didn’t went without notice. Eventually the oil-rich gulf kingdom which was set to organise the 2022 FIFA World Cup existed from the group stage.

Messi’s controversial red card

In the third place match between Argentina and Chile in Copa America 2019, Lionel Messi was sent-off before half-time. With Argentina up 2-0, Messi and Chile’s Gary Medel got into a heated shoving match, with Messi using only his chest, and both got red cards. Medel looked to try and sneak a headbutt in, and it was a wild, tense moment that felt certain to end in a fight: It remained one of the weirdest moments in Messi’s storied career.