It wasn’t supposed to be this way. After securing a promising path through Nations League action, Nicaragua looked set to be part of the Gold Cup lineup. The pieces were falling into place—until they weren’t.
Something changed between qualification and the event draw. A decision behind the scenes shifted the course, leaving fans puzzled and a nation unexpectedly sidelined. The question wasn’t about form, it was something else entirely.
In a tournament where every spot is hard-earned, the team’s absence isn’t just a footnote. It’s the result of controversy, consequence and the kind of administrative twist that rarely grabs headlines—but reshapes a story.
What decision led to Nicaragua’s disqualification?
In June 2023, CONCACAF‘s Disciplinary Committee made a firm decision: Nicaragua was disqualified from the upcoming Gold Cup after it was found guilty of fielding an ineligible player in multiple matches during the 2022–23 Nations League.
Byron Bonilla #15 of Nicaragua reacts while given a yellow card by referee Adonai Escobedo during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match against Bermuda in 2019. (Source: Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
The ruling cited a clear violation of FIFA and CONCACAF’s eligibility regulations, and although the player’s name wasn’t officially disclosed, it was confirmed that this breach occurred in eight competitive fixtures—a serious infraction with wide-reaching consequences.
As a result, they lost not only their place in the 2023 Gold Cup but also their promotion to League A in the Nations League, being retroactively placed in League B. This wasn’t the first time a national team faced such disciplinary action.
In past cycles, Belize and French Guiana encountered similar sanctions—most notably, French Guiana in 2017, when they fielded Florent Malouda (a former French international), which led to a forfeited match against Honduras.
These decisions underscore the increasingly strict enforcement of eligibility rules, reflecting a shift toward greater administrative rigor. For Nicaragua, the penalty was more than symbolic—it reshaped the tournament landscape and left a gap quickly filled by another contender.
Who replaced Nicaragua in the 2025 Gold Cup lineup?
CONCACAF’s ruling created a vacancy in the Gold Cup format, leaving Nicaragua’s group stage spot unfilled—until Trinidad and Tobago stepped in. As the highest-performing runner-up from League B in the Nations League, the team were promoted directly into the Group A lineup.
Although the change was originally for the 2023 tournament, it set a precedent: qualified teams from subsequent cycles did so through clean eligibility processes, ensuring no repeat disruptions in 2025.
