CONCACAF Gold Cup facts for kids
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| Organizing body | CONCACAF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 |
| Region | North America (Northern America, Central America, and the Caribbean) |
| Number of teams | 16 (finals) 41 (eligible to enter qualification) |
| Qualifier for | FIFA Confederations Cup (1992–2017) |
| Related competitions | CONCACAF Championship |
| Current champion(s) |  Mexico (9th title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Mexico (9 titles) |
The CONCACAF Gold Cup (also known as Copa Oro in Spanish) is a big soccer tournament. It's for the men's national teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. This competition decides which country is the best soccer team in the region.
The Gold Cup happens every two years. It started in 1991 and took over from an older tournament called the CONCACAF Championship. So far, only three countries have won the Gold Cup: Canada, United States, and Mexico.
Contents
History of the Gold Cup
Early Soccer Tournaments
Before 1961, soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean was organized differently. There were two main groups:
- The CCCF (Central American and Caribbean Football Confederation) started in 1938. It included teams from Central America and most of the Caribbean.
- The NAFC (North American Football Confederation) started in 1946. It included teams from the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Cuba.
Each group had its own championship. The CCCF held 10 championships, with Costa Rica winning seven times. The NAFC held four championships, with Mexico winning three times and Canada winning once.
The CONCACAF Championship (1963–1989)
In 1961, the NAFC and CCCF joined together to form CONCACAF. This new group created one big tournament for the whole region. The first CONCACAF tournament was in 1963 in El Salvador. Costa Rica was the first champion.
This tournament was called the CONCACAF Campeonato de Naciones. It happened every two years until 1973. Mexico won their first title in 1965. Guatemala won in 1967, and Costa Rica won again in 1969. In 1971, Mexico won their second championship.
From 1973 onwards, this tournament also decided which team would go to the FIFA World Cup. Haiti won in 1973 and went to the World Cup. Mexico won in 1977, and Honduras won in 1981. Canada won the championship in 1985, and Costa Rica won in 1989.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup (Since 1991)
In 1990, CONCACAF changed the tournament's name and structure. It became the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The United States hosted the first Gold Cup in 1991 and won it. Since then, the United States has hosted or co-hosted every Gold Cup.
Mexico was very strong in the 1990s. They won three Gold Cup titles in a row in 1993, 1996, and 1998.
In 1996, the Gold Cup invited a guest team for the first time. This was Brazil, who were the FIFA World Cup champions. Guest teams were invited to six tournaments between 1996 and 2005. Starting in 2000, the tournament grew to include twelve teams. From 2007, only teams from CONCACAF played in the Gold Cup.
The United States won in 2007, beating Mexico. Mexico won in 2009 and 2011. The USA won again in 2013 and 2017. Mexico won in 2015, 2019, and 2023. The USA also won in 2021.
Since the Gold Cup started in 1991:
- Mexico has won 9 times.
- The United States has won 7 times.
- Canada has won once.
Before 2015, the Gold Cup winner often qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup. In 2015, the winners of the 2013 and 2015 Gold Cups played a special match called the CONCACAF Cup. The winner of that match went to the 2017 Confederations Cup.
In 2017, it was announced that the Gold Cup would grow from 12 to 16 teams. This change started with the 2019 tournament. Costa Rica and Jamaica also became co-hosts for some games in 2019.
How the Tournament Works
The number of teams and the way the tournament is played have changed over the years. Usually, teams first play in a group stage. After that, the best teams move on to a knockout stage, where losing means you're out.
There has been talk about holding the tournament every four years instead of two. This could make it even more special and give players more rest.
| Year | Teams | Matches | Group stage | Final stages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1993 | 8 | 16 | 2 groups of 4 teams | 4-team knockout (group winners and runners-up) |
| 1996 | 9 | 13 | 3 groups of 3 teams | 4-team knockout (group winners plus best runner-up) |
| 1998 | 10 | 16 | 3 groups of 3 or 4 teams | |
| 2000 | 12 | 19 | 4 groups of 3 teams | 8-team knockout (group winners and runners-up) |
| 2002–2003 | 20 | |||
| 2005–2013 | 25 | 3 groups of 4 teams | 8-team knockout (group winners and runners-up, plus 2 best 3rd-placed teams) |
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| 2015 | 26 | |||
| 2017 | 25 | |||
| 2019–2023 | 16 | 31 | 4 groups of 4 teams | 8-team knockout (group winners and runners-up) |
Tournament Results
- Keys
- a.e.t.: after extra time (when a game goes longer than normal)
- s.d.: after "sudden death" extra time (the first team to score wins)
- p: after penalty shoot-out (when teams take turns shooting penalties to decide a winner)
Who Won the Most?
| Team | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico |
9 | 2 |
 United States |
7 | 5 |
 Canada |
1 | 0 |
 Panama |
0 | 3 |
 Brazil |
0 | 2 |
 Jamaica |
0 | 2 |
 Colombia |
0 | 1 |
 Costa Rica |
0 | 1 |
 Honduras |
0 | 1 |
Awards and Records
Gold Cup Winners in the Confederations Cup
The Gold Cup winner sometimes got to play in the FIFA Confederations Cup. This was another big international tournament. Here's how Gold Cup champions did there:
| Qualified via | Year | Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 Gold Cup | 1995 | Mexico |
Third place |
| 1996 Gold Cup | 1997 | Mexico |
Group stage (3rd) |
| 1998 Gold Cup (1st) | 1999 | Mexico |
Champions |
| 1998 Gold Cup (2nd) | United States |
Third place | |
| 2000 Gold Cup | 2001 | Canada |
Group stage (4th) |
| 2002 Gold Cup | 2003 | United States |
Group stage (4th) |
| 2003 Gold Cup | 2005 | Mexico |
Fourth place |
| 2007 Gold Cup | 2009 | United States |
Runners up |
| 2011 Gold Cup | 2013 | Mexico |
Group stage (3rd) |
| 2013 Gold Cup | 2017 | United States |
DNQ |
| 2015 Gold Cup | Mexico |
Fourth place |
Special Awards
After each tournament, several awards are given out:
- Best Player – for the most valuable player.
- Top Goalscorer – for the player who scores the most goals.
- Best Goalkeeper – for the best goalie.
- Best Young Player – for the best young talent.
- Team of the Tournament – a team made up of the best players from the whole tournament.
- Goal of the Tournament – for the best goal scored (started in 2021).
- Fair Play Award – for the team that plays the most fairly.
Guest Teams
The 1996 Gold Cup was the first time a team from outside CONCACAF was invited. Brazil, a strong team from South America, joined the tournament. Even with their younger players, Brazil finished second!
For about ten years, six different countries from other parts of the world were invited to play. Many of these guest teams did very well. However, after 2005, CONCACAF decided to stop inviting guests. This was to give more chances to teams from North, Central America, and the Caribbean.
After a long break, Qatar was invited to play in the 2021 Gold Cup. They reached the semi-finals! Qatar also played in the 2023 Gold Cup.
Guest Nations' Results
| Team | Confederation | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2005 | 2021 | 2023 | Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil |
CONMEBOL | 2nd | 3rd | – | – | 2nd | – | – | – | 3 |
| Colombia |
CONMEBOL | – | – | 2nd | – | QF | SF | – | – | 3 |
 Peru |
CONMEBOL | – | – | SF | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 South Korea |
AFC | – | – | GS | 4th | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Ecuador |
CONMEBOL | – | – | – | GS | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 South Africa |
CAF | – | – | – | – | – | QF | – | – | 1 |
 Qatar |
AFC | – | – | – | – | – | – | SF | QF | 2 |
Watching the Games
In the United States, you can watch the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Fox Sports and Univision. In Mexico, it's on Televisa and TV Azteca. In Canada, OneSoccer broadcasts the games. CONCACAF also streams some matches on YouTube.
The Gold Cup Trophy
The Gold Cup trophy is given to the winning team. Its design has changed a few times over the years. The base of the trophy has the names of the champion nations and the year they won.
See also
In Spanish: Copa Oro de la Concacaf para niños
- Continental football championships
- CCCF Championship (1941–1961)
- North American Nations Cup (1947, 1949, 1990, 1991)
- CONCACAF Nations League
