Just a few days remain until the start of the 48th edition of the Copa América, which will be held in the United States this year. Sixteen teams from South and North America will participate in the upcoming edition. It has become customary in the Copa tournament to include teams from different continents, especially from North America, which is not common in other continental tournaments. Notably, the 2024 edition will feature six teams from outside South America: the host United States, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and Canada.
Officials of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) have always faced fierce criticism from the continent's residents regarding the invitation of teams from other continents to participate in the Copa. The most prominent criticism arose during the 2019 edition when Venezuela's coach, Rafael Dudamel, opposed the participation of Japan and Qatar in the tournament. Dudamel condemned Japan's entry with an under-23 team, asserting that it disrespected the tournament that had invited them to participate. Others believe that the participation of teams from outside South America fundamentally questions the integrity of the tournament.
Aside from the public criticism that sometimes labels Copa América as a friendly tournament due to the invitations extended to non-continental teams, the reality often confirms that such participations have, on numerous occasions, intensified the competition for the title. The 1993 edition serves as a prime example, as the Mexican national team was on the verge of making history by winning the title after reaching the final, only to lose to Argentina (1-2).
This happened again in the 2001 edition, where Colombia stood in the way of Mexico reaching the podium by defeating them (1-0) in the final. On other occasions, the Copa guests reached the semifinals, nearly making it to the final as in 1995, when the United States finished fourth after losing the bronze medal to Colombia.
In the following three editions, at least one guest team reached the semifinals, with Mexico securing bronze in 1997 and 1999 at the expense of Peru and Chile. In 2001, guests were strongly represented in the semifinals by Mexico and Honduras, with Mexico reaching the final and finishing second while Honduras claimed bronze. Mexico again won bronze in 2007 by defeating Uruguay (3-1) in the third-place playoff.
