Why doesn’t USMNT participate in all editions of the Copa América?

The Copa América primarily features teams from the South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL, which consists of 10 member countries. To fill out the tournament, CONMEBOL often invites teams from other confederations.

The USMNT, being part of the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football, CONCACAF, has been invited several times, but these invitations are not guaranteed for every tournament.

The Gold Cup and CONCACAF tournaments the problem

One of the main challenges is the scheduling of the Copa América. The tournament often coincides with other major comPetitions or events on the soccer calendar, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is a crucial tournament for the USMNT as it determines the regional champion of CONCACAF and affects qualifications for other international comPetitions.

The USMNT often prioritizes comPetitions within its own confederation and preparation for the FIFA World Cup. While the Copa América offers valuable experience against high-caliber South American teams, U.S. Soccer must balance this against its own comPetitive goals and commitments.

The USMNT has participated in the Copa América in 1993, 1995, 2007, and most recently in 2016, when the tournament was hosted in the United States as a special Centenario edition celebrating the comPetition’s 100th anniversary. It seems that for the future the USMNT will be a regular participant of the tournament.