There are lots of different soccer competitions for fans to tune into throughout the season. And one such tournament is the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
To help you prepare for the tournament and to ensure you have all the information you need, we explain everything you need to know about the Gold Cup in soccer and detail why it’s such a special tournament.
So, what is the Gold Cup in soccer?
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is an international soccer competition featuring sixteen nations from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The tournament is held every two years, and Mexico is the most successful nation in its history, with a record of eight titles.
If you’re new to international soccer, read on to find out everything you need to know about the Gold Cup in soccer and discover how the competition actually works.
The history of the tournament
Before CONCACAF – the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football – became an entity in 1961, there wasn’t a unified body for soccer competitions in the region.
As such, each American confederation held its own tournaments, and intra-continental matches between nations were reserved for World Cup tournaments and friendly matches.
The inaugural CONCACAF tournament was held in 1963, two years after the establishment of the regulatory soccer body in the region. El Salvador hosted the first tournament, and Costa Rica won the championship title.
However, the early tournaments were only computed by six teams, and it wasn’t until 1990 that CONCACAF decided to restructure its premier event into a much more competitive and long-form competition.
As such, the idea of the Gold Cup was born, and the first tournament was held in 1991 in the United States. The US defeated Honduras in the final on penalty kicks, and the birth of a new tournament was underway.
How the Gold Cup works
Since 1991, the CONCACAF Gold Cup has been held every two years. In the first two seasons, the Cup was contested by eight teams, but the numbers gradually increased, and the competition was played with 12 teams until 2019.
In 2019, a further four teams were permitted to compete in the Gold Cup, bringing the total number of teams in the competition to sixteen. From 1996 – 2007, the confederation invited a guest nation to compete in the tournament, with the likes of Brazil, Colombia, and South Korea featuring during this time frame.
However, they brought an end to that idea in 2007 and focused instead on letting smaller nations in the CONCACAF region compete for a place in the finals. That being said, Qatar was invited to compete in the 2021 Cup and will again compete for the prize in 2023.
Fortunately, the Gold Cup format is easy enough to understand for spectators:
- Sixteen teams from the CONCACAF region can qualify for the tournament.
- The teams are split into four groups of four and play each other once in the group stages.
- The top two teams in each group advance to the knock-out stage, beginning with a quarter-final and then a semi-final.
- The remaining two teams compete for the Gold Cup in the final of the competition, and there is no third-place play-off.
In this respect, the CONCACAF Golf Cup follows a similar structure to other major international soccer tournaments and is really easy for soccer fans to follow.
Which teams participate in the Gold Cup?
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is an international soccer tournament, and nations from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean can qualify for the tournament finals.
As mentioned, CONCACAF historically invited guest nations to participate in the tournament, and Brazil, Colombia, Peru, South Korea, Ecuador, South Africa, and Qatar have all participated in the tournament.
Interestingly, none of these guest nations have ever won the Gold Cup, illustrating the strength of the CONCACAF field. This invitation of foreign nations is a tad unusual in soccer, but it’s a good way for the confederation to raise the profile of the North American game in different parts of the world.
Which nation has the most Gold Cup titles?
Mexico has won the Gold Cup a record eight times, and they have finished as runners-up twice. The United States has won the competition seven times, with five second-place finishes. The only other team to win the Gold Cup is Canada, and their solitary success came in 2000.
Jamaica tends to do reasonably well in the Golf Cup out of the other nations and finished in second place in 2015 and 2017. Panama also offers stiff competition, and they have finished as runners-up on two occasions, in 2005 and 2013.
Still, as you can see, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is a tournament that has been dominated by Mexico and the US since its inception. Both teams go into the tournament as strong favorites every time it comes around, and one of them always seems to make the final.
In fact, since 1991, either the US or Mexico has competed in every single Gold Cup final, highlighting the gulf in class over their opposition. The 2021 final between the US and Mexico showcases how evenly matched the two teams are, with a late Miles Robinson winner clinching the crown for the US.
Is the Gold Cup the same as the World Cup?
The Gold Cup is not the same as the World Cup, but they are both international soccer tournaments. The main difference is that the World Cup is open for nations from all around the world, while the Gold Cup is competed by teams in the CONCACAF regions only (plus the occasional guest nations, as explained above).
What’s more, the Gold Cup is played every two years, while the World Cup occurs every four years. It’s also fair to say that the World Cup is much more prestigious than the Gold Cup and is much more difficult to win.
For instance, the USMNT has never won the FIFA World Cup, but they have seven CONCACAF Gold Cups in the trophy cabinet. Still, when the US serves as the joint host of the World Cup in 2026, many soccer fans hope that they will get their hands on the famous World Cup trophy for the first time.
Interested to learn about how World Cup hosts are announced? Check out this article that explains how World Cup hosts are selected.
Recap: The Gold Cup in soccer
The Gold Cup in soccer is a tournament for CONCACAF nations that is held every two years. The US and Mexico have dominated the tournament since it launched in 1991.
It’s a great tournament for spectators, as it brings the top nations in CONCACAF together to compete for the ultimate prize.
The next Gold Cup will be in 2023, so make sure you pencil it into the diary, so you don’t miss out on the action!