With the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup well underway, many are wondering why Qatar gets to play in the event. Read on for all the recognized details.
The 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup is after all underway, bringing in combination sixteen of the best possible national teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean ... or so we thought. As it turns out, the Qatar team — which isn't even an professional member of CONCACAF — is participating in the regional championship.
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How is that even possible?! Qatar plays in the Asian area and is a part of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), so why do they get to play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup? Keep scrolling to find out.
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Why does Qatar play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup?
In February 2018, CONCACAF and the AFC signed an agreement to enhance the expansion and construction of football (football for the American other folks) in their respective territories. As part of this partnership, CONCACAF invited Qatar to participate in the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cup tournaments.
Qatar's look at the 2021 tournament marked the first time since 2005 that the CONCACAF Gold Cup featured a visitor team from outdoor the region. At the time of this writing, Qatar is the second country from the AFC to look in a Gold Cup event (South Korea participated in the 2000 and 2002 tournaments).
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How does Qatar carry out in the CONCACAF Gold Cup?
In the 2021 tournament, Qatar kicked things off with a 3-3 draw towards Panama. The team adopted that up with a 4-0 victory over Grenada and a 2-0 win over Honduras, which earned them a place in the quarterfinals. Qatar overcame El Salvador 3-2 and secured a semifinal place in opposition to the United States — they lost 1-0, which ended their campaign.
As for the 2023 Gold Cup, it seems that Qatar is again for vengeance. After scary an already-qualified Mexico 1-Zero on Sunday, July 2, Qatar complicated to the quarterfinals. The fit will kick off on Saturday, July 8, at 7:00 p.m. EST. As for Qatar's opponent, they are going to face off towards the winner of Group C, which continues to be to be decided.
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