CONCACAF facts for kids
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Abbreviation | CONCACAF |
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Predecessor |
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Formation | September 18, 1961 |
Founded at | Mexico City, Mexico |
Type | Sports organization |
Headquarters | 161 NW 6th Street, Suite #1100, Miami, Florida, United States |
Region
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North America (the Caribbean, Central America, and Northern America) South America (The Guianas) |
Membership
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41 member associations |
Official language
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President
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Victor Montagliani |
Vice Presidents
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General Secretary
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Philippe Moggio |
Parent organization
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FIFA |
Subsidiaries |
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The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, usually called CONCACAF, is one of FIFA's six main groups for soccer. It includes 41 countries and areas. Most are in North America, like the Caribbean and Central America. It also includes three nations from South America: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
CONCACAF's main jobs are to set up competitions for national teams and clubs. They also run the qualifying tournaments for the Men's World Cup and Women's World Cup.
CONCACAF started on September 18, 1961, in Mexico City, Mexico. It was formed when two older groups, the NAFC and the CCCF, joined together. Some of the first members were Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States.
In men's soccer, Mexico has won the most Gold Cups. The Mexican men's team is the only CONCACAF team to win a FIFA tournament. They won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup. Mexico and the U.S. have won almost all the Gold Cups. In 2014, Costa Rica reached the World Cup quarterfinals. Panama joined the World Cup for the first time in 2018. The CONCACAF Nations League started in 2018. The United States has won it three times.
The U.S. women's team is very successful. They are the only CONCACAF team to win all three major women's soccer events. These are the World Cup (4 times), the Olympics (5 times), and the Algarve Cup (10 times). The Canadian women's team has won the 2016 Algarve Cup and the 2020 Olympics.
CONCACAF works with Coaches Across Continents (CAC). CAC is a group that uses sports to help people become active citizens.
How CONCACAF is Run
CONCACAF is led by a general secretary, an executive committee, and other groups. The executive committee has eight members. These include a president, three vice-presidents, and four other members. Each of the three main areas in CONCACAF has a vice-president and another member. This committee makes sure all the rules and plans are followed.
Leaders of CONCACAF
The first leader of CONCACAF was Ramón Coll Jaumet from Costa Rica. He helped combine the two older soccer groups. In 1969, Joaquín Soria Terrazas from Mexico took over. He was president for 21 years.
After him, Jack Warner was president from 1990 to 2011. He also served for 21 years. In 2011, he stepped down from all soccer activities. Alfredo Hawit then became acting president until May 2012.
In May 2012, Jeffrey Webb became president. In May 2015, he was arrested in Switzerland.
Victor Montagliani, who leads the Canadian Soccer Association, became CONCACAF president in May 2016.
CONCACAF Council Members
Name | Nation | Position |
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Victor Montagliani | ![]() |
President |
Philippe Moggio | ![]() |
General secretary |
Randolph Harris | ![]() |
Vice President (Male, Caribbean) |
Nick Bontis | ![]() |
Vice President (Male, North America) |
Jorge Salomon | ![]() |
Vice President (Male, Central America) |
Sonia Fulford | ![]() |
Member (Female, Caribbean) |
Cindy Parlow Cone | ![]() |
Member (Female, North America) |
Sergio Chuc | ![]() |
Member (Male, Central America) |
Where CONCACAF Works
CONCACAF is a non-profit group based in Nassau, The Bahamas. Its main office is in Miami, United States. It used to be in the Cayman Islands and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
In 2017, CONCACAF opened new offices. One was in Kingston, Jamaica. Another was in Guatemala City, shared with the Central American Football Union (UNCAF). A third office opened in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Member Countries
CONCACAF has 41 member countries and territories. They are divided into three zones: North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Code | Association | National teams | Founded | FIFA affiliation |
CONCACAF affiliation |
IOC member |
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North American Zone (NAFU) (3) | |||||||
CAN | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1912 | 1913 | 1961 | Yes | |
MEX | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1922 | 1929 | 1961 | Yes | |
USA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1913 | 1914 | 1961 | Yes | |
Central American Zone (UNCAF) (7) | |||||||
BLZ | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1980 | 1986 | 1986 | Yes | |
CRC | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1921 | 1927 | 1961 | Yes | |
SLV | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1935 | 1938 | 1961 | Yes | |
GUA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1919 | 1946 | 1961 | Yes | |
HON | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1935 | 1946 | 1961 | Yes | |
NCA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1931 | 1950 | 1961 | Yes | |
PAN | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1937 | 1938 | 1961 | Yes | |
Caribbean Zone (CFU) (31) | |||||||
AIA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1990 | 1996 | 1996 | Yes | |
ATG | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1928 | 1972 | between 1961 and 1973 | Yes | |
ARU | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1932 | 1988 | 1986 | Yes | |
BAH | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1967 | 1968 | between 1961 and 1973 | Yes | |
BRB | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1910 | 1968 | 1967 | Yes | |
BER | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1928 | 1962 | 1967 | Yes | |
BOE | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1960 | N/A | 2014 | Yes | |
VGB | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1974 | 1996 | 1996 | Yes | |
CAY | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1966 | 1992 | 1990 | Yes | |
CUB | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1924 | 1929 | 1961 | Yes | |
CUW | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1921 | 1932 | 1961 | Yes | |
DMA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1970 | 1994 | 1994 | Yes | |
DOM | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1953 | 1958 | 1964 | Yes | |
GUF | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1962 | N/A | 2013 | Yes | |
GRN | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1924 | 1978 | 1978 | Yes | |
GLP | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1958 | N/A | 2013 | Yes | |
GUY | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1902 | 1970 | between 1969 and 1971 | Yes | |
HAI | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1904 | 1934 | 1961 | Yes | |
JAM | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1910 | 1962 | 1963 | Yes | |
MTQ | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1953 | N/A | 2013 | No | |
MSR | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1994 | 1996 | 1996 | No | |
PUR | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1940 | 1960 | 1964 | Yes | |
SKN | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1932 | 1992 | 1992 | Yes | |
LCA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1979 | 1988 | 1986 | Yes | |
SMN | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1999 | N/A | 2013 | No | |
VIN | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1979 | 1988 | 1986 | Yes | |
SMA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1986 | N/A | 2013 | No | |
SUR | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1920 | 1929 | 1961 | Yes | |
TRI | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1908 | 1964 | 1964 | Yes | |
TCA | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1996 | 1998 | 1996 | No | |
VIR | ![]() |
(M, W) | 1992 | 1998 | 1987 | Yes |
M = Men's National Team. W = Women's National Team
Bonaire became a full member in June 2014. Teams not part of the IOC cannot play in the Summer Olympics football tournament.
Future Members
Some areas want to join CONCACAF. Greenland officially applied to join CONCACAF on May 28, 2024. However, in June 2025, CONCACAF decided not to accept Greenland's application.
CONCACAF Competitions
CONCACAF organizes many exciting soccer tournaments. These include competitions for both national teams and clubs.
Current Competitions
National Teams:
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Clubs:
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Past Competitions
CONCACAF used to have other tournaments. These included the CFU Championship and the CONCACAF Championship. Club competitions like the CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup and CONCACAF League are also no longer played.
CONCACAF Gold Cup Explained
The Gold Cup is the biggest men's national team soccer competition in CONCACAF. It started in 1991 and happens every two years. The winner is crowned the champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Since 2019, 16 teams play in the Gold Cup.
CONCACAF Nations League Explained
All men's national teams in CONCACAF play in the Nations League. This competition began in 2017. Teams are put into different levels and play against others in their level. Teams can move up or down a level based on their results.
CONCACAF Champions Cup Explained
The CONCACAF Champions Cup is an annual club soccer competition. It started in 1962 and is for the best clubs in the region. The team that wins the Champions Cup gets to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament runs from February to April.
Starting in 2024, 27 teams play in the Champions Cup. Mexican clubs have won the most titles, with 36 wins. Club América and Cruz Azul from Mexico have won seven titles each.
Current Champions
Competition | Year | Champions | Title | Runners-up | Next edition | ||||
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National teams (men) | |||||||||
Gold Cup | 2025 (final) | ![]() |
10th | ![]() |
2027 (final) | ||||
Nations League | 2024–25 (final) | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2026–27 (final) | ||||
U-20 Championship | 2024 | ![]() |
14th | ![]() |
2026 | ||||
U-17 Championship | 2023 | ![]() |
9th | ![]() |
2025 | ||||
U-15 Championship | 2023 | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2025 | ||||
Futsal Championship | 2024 | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2028 | ||||
Beach Soccer Championship | 2025 | ![]() |
3rd | ![]() |
2027 | ||||
National teams (women) | |||||||||
W Championship | 2022 (final) | ![]() |
9th | ![]() |
2026 (final) | ||||
W Gold Cup | 2024 (final) | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2028 (final) | ||||
Women's U-20 Championship | 2025 | ![]() |
3rd | ![]() |
2027 | ||||
Women's U-17 Championship | 2024 | ![]() |
6th | ![]() |
2026 | ||||
Girls' U-15 Championship | 2024 | ![]() |
4th | ![]() |
2026 | ||||
W Futsal Championship | 2025 | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2029 | ||||
Club teams (men) | |||||||||
Champions Cup | 2025 (final) | ![]() |
7th | ![]() |
2026 (final) | ||||
Leagues Cup | 2024 (final) | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2025 (final) | ||||
Central American Cup | 2024 | ![]() |
2nd | ![]() |
2025 | ||||
Caribbean Cup | 2024 | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2025 | ||||
Under-13 Champions League | 2019 | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
TBC | ||||
Futsal Club Championship | 2017 | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
TBC | ||||
Club teams (women) | |||||||||
W Champions Cup | 2024–25 | ![]() |
1st | ![]() |
2025–26 |
Titles by Nation
Nation | Men | Women | Futsal | Beach | Total | |||||||||
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Gold | League | U20 | U17 | U15 | Champ | Gold | U20 | U17 | U15 | Men's | Women's | Men's | ||
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7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | 3 | 49 |
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13 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 | 45 |
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2 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 11 |
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3 | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | 10 |
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1 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
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– | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 |
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1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
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– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 2 |
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– | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
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1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
CONMEBOL Tournaments
CONCACAF teams have also played in some tournaments organized by CONMEBOL, the South American soccer group. These include the Copa América for national teams. Clubs have played in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.
CONCACAF Hall of Fame
The CONCACAF Hall of Fame honors important people in soccer from the region. It includes players and leaders who have made a big impact.
Hubert Tromp
Gerard Bean
Matthew Hogan
João Havelange
Jim Fleming
Rudy Gittens
Hiram Sosa López
Isaac Sasso
Julio Moya
Ramón Coll Jaumet
Andres Avelino Constansia
Patrick John
Mavis Derflinger
Clive Toye
Guillermo Cañedo
Oscar Thamar
Carlos Carrera
Jacques Rugard
Federico Fortín
Rafael L. Callejas Romero
Anthony James
George Abrahams
Ricardo Gardener
Lincoln "Happy" Sutherland
Aaron Padilla Gutiérrez
Arturo Yamasaki
Javier Arriaga
Jesús Martínez
Joaquín Soria Terrazas
Joseph Ursulet
Júlio Rocha
Mordy Maduro
Ariel Alvarado
Sepp Blatter
André Kamperveen
Gene Edwards
Kurt Lamm
Werner Fricker
Team of the Century
The CONCACAF Team of the Century was announced in 1998. It recognized the best players from the region.
- GK — Antonio Carbajal (Mexico)
- DF — Marcelo Balboa (United States)
- DF — Gilberto Yearwood (Honduras)
- DF — Bruce Wilson (Canada)
- DF — Gustavo Peña (Mexico)
- MF — Ramón Ramírez (Mexico)
- MF — Mágico González (El Salvador)
- MF — Tab Ramos (United States)
- FW — Julio César Dely Valdés (Panama)
- FW — Hugo Sánchez (Mexico)
- FW — Hernán Medford (Costa Rica)
President's Award
The President's Award honors people who have done great things for soccer.
- 2013
Carlos Ruiz for speaking out against unfair practices.
Ian Gaynair for reporting an offer of a bribe.
- 2015
United States for winning the 2012 Summer Olympics Women's football tournament.
Mexico for winning the 2012 Summer Olympics Men's football tournament.
World Cup History
FIFA World Cup for Men
Only eleven CONCACAF countries have played in the FIFA World Cup. Six of them have only played once. No team from CONCACAF has ever reached the final. However, the United States reached the semi-finals in the first World Cup in 1930. They were awarded third place.
CONCACAF teams have reached the quarter-finals five times:
- Cuba in 1938
- Mexico as hosts in 1970 and 1986
- The United States in 2002
- Costa Rica in 2014
Jamaica is the smallest country to win a World Cup match. They beat Japan 2–1 in 1998.
FIFA World Cup Hosting
CONCACAF nations have hosted the FIFA World Cup three times.
The 1970 FIFA World Cup was in Mexico. It was the first World Cup held in North America. Brazil won this tournament. The 1970 World Cup had many goals and was the first to be shown in color on TV.
In 1986, Mexico became the first country to host the World Cup twice. They stepped in after Colombia could not host due to money problems.
The United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup. FIFA hoped this would make soccer more popular in the U.S. One condition was to create a professional soccer league, Major League Soccer. The 1994 World Cup had the highest total attendance ever, with almost 3.6 million fans.
Canada, Mexico, and the United States will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup together.
FIFA Women's World Cup
The United States women's team has won the FIFA Women's World Cup four times. Canada has also had strong performances.
Olympic Games Soccer
Men's Olympic Tournament
Several CONCACAF men's teams have played in the Olympics. Mexico won the gold medal in 2012.
Women's Olympic Tournament
The United States women's team has won the Olympic gold medal five times. Canada won gold in 2020.
Other Rankings
Men's CONCACAF Ranking Index
CONCACAF calculates its own ranking for men's national teams.
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Last updated March 26, 2025
Women's CONCACAF Ranking Index
CONCACAF also calculates a ranking for women's national teams.
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Last updated March 11, 2024
CONCACAF Club Rankings
In May 2023, CONCACAF started a new ranking system for men's clubs. This helps decide which teams play in future club competitions. In June 2025, they also released a ranking for women's clubs.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Concacaf para niños