Why was Qatar invited to the 2023 Gold Cup in the United States?

To crown a continental champion in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, the men's national football teams administered by CONCACAF compete in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. It is played once every two years.

In 1991, the competition debuted as a replacement for the CONCACAF Championship which ran from 1963 to 1989. Canada, the United States, and Mexico are the only three countries to ever win the event.

In 2023, the CONCACAF Gold Cup will return for its 17th edition. The competition, set to run from June 16 to July 16, 2023, will be co-hosted by Canada and the United States. After taking first place in 2021, the United States are the current titleholders.

Why are Qatar going to feature in the 2023 Gold Cup?

The North American football association CONCACAF does not recognize Qatar as a member but has still invited the country to participate in the 2021 tournament. The squad represented Asia for the second time in the Gold Cup.

In 2018, the soccer governing bodies of Asia and CONCACAF established a strategic collaboration to promote the sport's development in both areas. Qatar's participation in the Gold Cup tournaments of 2021 and 2023 was a part of that agreement.

Therefore, Qatar will be participating in the event once again. Teams like Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, which are not members of CONCACAF, have also competed in the past to raise the level of play.