As the United States prepares to host this year’s edition of the Gold Cup, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about this much-anticipated tournament. So, sit back, grab a refreshment, and let’s talk the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup!
What Is the CONCACAF Gold Cup?
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the biggest national team competition for countries within the North American, Central American, and Caribbean regions. It’s just like the European Championship and Copa America, but instead of England, Germany, and Brazil playing it’s got exciting teams like the US, Canada, and Mexico participating.
The next edition of the tournament will take place this summer between June 24th and July 16th, held mostly across stadia in the US.
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What Teams Are Playing in the Gold Cup?
The tournament is set to be a blast, with top teams across the CONCACAF body participating to be viewed as the best on the continent. In no particular order, you can expect to see these teams in the tournament: Mexico, the US, Costa Rica, Canada, Honduras, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
Furthermore, the confederation invited Qatar to play in the tournament as well! The Qataris had also played in the 2021 tournament, where they reached the semi-final. Could they do any better this year? Let’s wait and see!
Three more teams will take part in the competition. These teams are yet to be decided as they will have to earn qualification through a prelim round held in Fort Lauderdale, much closer to the tournament. The biggest names on paper in this phase are Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, and Grenada.
READ ALSO: 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualification Explained
Who Are the Past Winners?
Only three nations have ever won the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Mexico is the most successful team with eight wins, the US has seven, and Canada won it back in the year 2000. Could the USMNT tie the record with Mexico this year?
Notably, the US vs. Mexico has been the most played final, with seven of the 16 prior finals all coming down to this historic soccer rivalry – including the last two finals in 2021 and 2019.
Jamaica and Panama have both finished as runners-up twice.
What Team Has Won the Most Gold Cup Trophies?
Mexico has won the most CONCACAF Gold Cup trophies, with eight in their bag. Their most recent win was in the 2019 tournament, where Jonathan dos Santos scored the only goal in a tense 1-0 victory against the US.
Where To Watch CONCACAF Gold Cup
The Gold Cup will be aired across different TV channels and streaming services in the United States. Check them out here.
How Often Is the Cup Played?
Unlike the European Championship or most international football tournaments, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is played every two years, which means you never have to wait too long for more soccer!
What Does the Gold Cup Trophy Look Like?
The CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy is exactly like the name. It’s a Gold Cup. While other trophies can be gaudy with diamond-encrusted features, this one remains simple and has a timeless appeal because of that.
Where Can I Buy CONCACAF Gold Cup Final Tickets?
Tickets for CONCACAF matches are available on TicketMaster.
CONCACAF Nations League vs Gold Cup, What’s the Difference?
CONCACAF is doing its best to keep international teams busy. For the most part, some of them can go dormant without much chance of qualifying for a world cup – so more competitions to enthuse soccer is only a good thing.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is a soccer tournament lasting around a month every two years – usually held in one set location. There’s a quick turnaround between the start and end of the competition.
The CONCACAF Nations League is a much longer affair. It takes almost a whole year to start and finish. National teams are ranked and put into respective groups where, in theory, they will play more competitive games. The group stage standings also count for qualification for the Gold Cup, meaning the better teams do in the CNL, the more chance they have of playing in the Gold Cup.
The idea is to stop meaningless friendlies, reduce hammerings in World Cup qualifiers, and promote competitiveness between national teams.
Come the end of the season, the best nations in the top-ranked groups play a mini-tournament to be crowned the overall Nations League champion.
This year, the four teams involved are the US, Mexico, Panama, and Canada. This concept is relatively new and therefore is not as prestigious as the Gold Cup just yet.
What Stadiums Will Host the Tournament?
The tournament is set to take place in 15 different stadiums. SoFi Stadium in LA is set to host the final match, while the others include: AT&T Stadium, Bank of America Stadium, Soldier Field, TQL Stadium, DRV PNK Stadium, State Farm Stadium, Red Bull Arena, NRG Stadium, Shell Energy Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, Snapdragon Stadium, Levi’s Stadium and City Park. One other venue, BMO Field in Toronto, will hold one of Canada’s matches.
