CONCACAF facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football

Abbreviation	CONCACAF
Predecessor	NAFC CCCF
Formation	September 18, 1961; 63 years ago (1961-09-18)
Founded at	Mexico City, Mexico
Type	Sports organization
Headquarters	161 NW 6th Street, Suite #1100, Miami, Florida, United States
Region	North America (the Caribbean, Central America, and Northern America) South America (The Guianas)
Membership	41 member associations
Official language	Dutch English French Spanish
President	Victor Montagliani
Vice Presidents	Rodolfo Villalobos Sunil Gulati Randolph Harris Yon de Luisa
General Secretary	Philippe Moggio
Parent organization	FIFA
Subsidiaries	NAFU (North America) UNCAF (Central America) CFU (Caribbean)

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

Logo used until 2018

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
Victor Montagliani	Canada	President
Philippe Moggio	France	General secretary
Randolph Harris	Barbados	Vice President (Male, Caribbean)
Nick Bontis	Canada	Vice President (Male, North America)
Jorge Salomon	Honduras	Vice President (Male, Central America)
Sonia Fulford	Turks and Caicos Islands	Member (Female, Caribbean)
Cindy Parlow Cone	United States of America	Member (Female, North America)
Sergio Chuc	Belize	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
North American Zone (NAFU) (3)
CAN	Canada	(M, W)	1912	1913	1961	Yes
MEX	Mexico	(M, W)	1922	1929	1961	Yes
USA	United States	(M, W)	1913	1914	1961	Yes
Central American Zone (UNCAF) (7)
BLZ	Belize	(M, W)	1980	1986	1986	Yes
CRC	Costa Rica	(M, W)	1921	1927	1961	Yes
SLV	El Salvador	(M, W)	1935	1938	1961	Yes
GUA	Guatemala	(M, W)	1919	1946	1961	Yes
HON	Honduras	(M, W)	1935	1946	1961	Yes
NCA	Nicaragua	(M, W)	1931	1950	1961	Yes
PAN	Panama	(M, W)	1937	1938	1961	Yes
Caribbean Zone (CFU) (31)
AIA	Anguilla	(M, W)	1990	1996	1996	Yes
ATG	Antigua and Barbuda	(M, W)	1928	1972	between 1961 and 1973	Yes
ARU	Aruba	(M, W)	1932	1988	1986	Yes
BAH	Bahamas	(M, W)	1967	1968	between 1961 and 1973	Yes
BRB	Barbados	(M, W)	1910	1968	1967	Yes
BER	Bermuda	(M, W)	1928	1962	1967	Yes
BOE	Bonaire	(M, W)	1960	N/A	2014	Yes
VGB	British Virgin Islands	(M, W)	1974	1996	1996	Yes
CAY	Cayman Islands	(M, W)	1966	1992	1990	Yes
CUB	Cuba	(M, W)	1924	1929	1961	Yes
CUW	Curaçao	(M, W)	1921	1932	1961	Yes
DMA	Dominica	(M, W)	1970	1994	1994	Yes
DOM	Dominican Republic	(M, W)	1953	1958	1964	Yes
GUF	French Guiana	(M, W)	1962	N/A	2013	Yes
GRN	Grenada	(M, W)	1924	1978	1978	Yes
GLP	Guadeloupe	(M, W)	1958	N/A	2013	Yes
GUY	Guyana	(M, W)	1902	1970	between 1969 and 1971	Yes
HAI	Haiti	(M, W)	1904	1934	1961	Yes
JAM	Jamaica	(M, W)	1910	1962	1963	Yes
MTQ	Martinique	(M, W)	1953	N/A	2013	No
MSR	Montserrat	(M, W)	1994	1996	1996	No
PUR	Puerto Rico	(M, W)	1940	1960	1964	Yes
SKN	Saint Kitts and Nevis	(M, W)	1932	1992	1992	Yes
LCA	Saint Lucia	(M, W)	1979	1988	1986	Yes
SMN	Saint Martin	(M, W)	1999	N/A	2013	No
VIN	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	(M, W)	1979	1988	1986	Yes
SMA	Sint Maarten	(M, W)	1986	N/A	2013	No
SUR	Suriname	(M, W)	1920	1929	1961	Yes
TRI	Trinidad and Tobago	(M, W)	1908	1964	1964	Yes
TCA	Turks and Caicos Islands	(M, W)	1996	1998	1996	No
VIR	U.S. Virgin Islands	(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

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
National teams (men)
Gold Cup		2025 (final)	Mexico	10th	United States		2027 (final)
Nations League		2024–25 (final)	Mexico	1st	Panama		2026–27 (final)
U-20 Championship		2024	Mexico	14th	United States		2026
U-17 Championship		2023	Mexico	9th	United States		2025
U-15 Championship		2023	United States	1st	Mexico		2025
Futsal Championship		2024	Panama	1st	Cuba		2028
Beach Soccer Championship		2025	El Salvador	3rd	Guatemala		2027
National teams (women)
W Championship		2022 (final)	United States	9th	Canada		2026 (final)
W Gold Cup		2024 (final)	United States	1st	Brazil		2028 (final)
Women's U-20 Championship		2025	Canada	3rd	Mexico		2027
Women's U-17 Championship		2024	United States	6th	Mexico		2026
Girls' U-15 Championship		2024	United States	4th	Mexico		2026
W Futsal Championship		2025	Canada	1st	Panama		2029
Club teams (men)
Champions Cup		2025 (final)	Cruz Azul	7th	Vancouver Whitecaps FC		2026 (final)
Leagues Cup		2024 (final)	Columbus Crew	1st	Los Angeles FC		2025 (final)
Central American Cup		2024	Alajuelense	2nd	Real Estelí		2025
Caribbean Cup		2024	Cavalier	1st	Cibao		2025
Under-13 Champions League		2019	Philadelphia Union	1st	ADFA Santa Ana		TBC
Futsal Club Championship		2017	Grupo Line Futsal	1st	Elite Futsal		TBC
Club teams (women)
W Champions Cup		2024–25	Gotham FC	1st	UANL		2025–26

Titles by Nation

Nation	Men					Women					Futsal		Beach	Total
	Gold	League	U20	U17	U15	Champ	Gold	U20	U17	U15	Men's	Women's	Men's
United States	7	3	3	3	1	9	1	7	6	4	2	–	3	49
Mexico	13	1	14	9	1	–	–	2	1	–	–	–	4	45
Canada	2	–	2	–	–	2	–	2	1	1	–	1	–	11
Costa Rica	3	–	2	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	4	–	–	10
Honduras	1	–	2	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4
El Salvador	–	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	3	4
Guatemala	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1	–	–	2
Panama	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1	–	1	2
Cuba	–	–	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1
Haiti	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.

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.

Rank Team Pts +/- 1  Mexico 1,946 2  Canada 1,837 1 3  Panama 1,778 1 4  United States 1,712 2 5  Costa Rica 1,668 6  Jamaica 1,552 7  Honduras 1,534 8  Haiti 1,481 9  Guatemala 1,377 10  Trinidad and Tobago 1,360 11  El Salvador 1,239 1 12  Suriname 1,223 4 13  Guadeloupe 1,222 1 14  Martinique 1,202 3 15  Curaçao 1,130 16  Nicaragua 1,115 3 17  Guyana 1,069 2 18  Cuba 1,057 1 19  Dominican Republic 1,050 1 20  French Guiana 950 21  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 892 1

Rank Team Pts +/- 22  Bermuda 864 1 23  Puerto Rico 846 24  Saint Kitts and Nevis 833 25  Belize 781 26  Saint Lucia 774 27  Grenada 739 28  Montserrat 690 29  Dominica 622 30  Sint Maarten 603 31  Barbados 591 32  Saint Martin 584 33  Antigua and Barbuda 581 34  Bonaire 558 35  Aruba 520 36  Cayman Islands 456 37  Bahamas 427 38  Turks and Caicos Islands 272 39  British Virgin Islands 150 40  Anguilla 149 41  U.S. Virgin Islands 110

Last updated March 26, 2025

Women's CONCACAF Ranking Index

CONCACAF also calculates a ranking for women's national teams.

Rank Team Pts +/- 1  United States 6,642 2  Canada 4,929 3  Costa Rica 3,704 4  Mexico 3,342 1 5  Jamaica 3,177 1 6  Panama 2,351 7  Haiti 2,172 8  El Salvador 1,754 1 9  Trinidad and Tobago 1,644 1 10  Dominican Republic 1,595 2 11  Puerto Rico 1,380 6 12  Guyana 1,338 1 13  Cuba 1,334 3 14  Bermuda 1,222 1 15  Belize 1,075 1 16  Guatemala 1,028 1 17  Suriname 960 1 18  Nicaragua 877 19  Antigua and Barbuda 830 20  Curaçao 787 21  Honduras 731

Rank Team Pts +/- 22  Aruba 723 23  Saint Kitts and Nevis 720 24  Martinique 700 25  Grenada 673 26  Barbados 617 27  Dominica 553 28  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 544 29  Saint Lucia 501 30  U.S. Virgin Islands 476 31  Bonaire 420 6 32  Cayman Islands 383 1 33  Anguilla 363 1 34  Turks and Caicos Islands 271 1 35  Bahamas 152 1 36  Guadeloupe 129 1 37  British Virgin Islands 49 1 38  French Guiana 0 39  Montserrat 0 40  Sint Maarten 0 41  Saint Martin 0

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

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  Logo used until 2018

See also

In Spanish: Concacaf para niños