The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's soccer and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the CONCACAF Championship was the regions' primary competition. It is currently held every two years. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States have hosted or co-hosted every tournament. Since then it has expanded to more countries in North America. [1]
From 1973 to 1989, the tournament doubled as the confederation's World Cup qualification. CONCACAF's representative team at the FIFA Confederations Cup was decided by a play-off between the winners of the last two tournament editions in 2015 via the CONCACAF Cup, but was then discontinued along with the Confederations Cup.
Since the inaugural tournament in 1963, the Gold Cup was held 27 times and has been won by seven different nations, most often by Mexico (12 titles).
Canada entered the tournament for the first time in 1973, and have qualified for 19 more tournaments since then. Often, they qualified automatically. Once, in 2015, Canada co-hosted the tournament. However, only two group matches were played in Toronto, and the rest at different venues within the United States. They again co-hosted in 2023, with a match played in Toronto like in 2015.
Canada is one of only four teams to have won the continental championship more than once. They won their first title in 1985, excluding Mexico (hosts) a year in which the tournament doubled as CONCACAF's qualification phase for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. [2] The second title was won in 2000, when Canada beat invitees Colombia 2–0 in the final in Los Angeles. [3] as well as Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago on route. Key to Canada’s success was Carlo Corazzin winning the golden boot and goalkeeper Craig Forrest winning best player, a rare accolade for a goalkeeper at an international tournament.
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
1963 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
1965 | ||||||||||||||||
1967 | ||||||||||||||||
1969 | ||||||||||||||||
1971 | ||||||||||||||||
1973 | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
1977 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | Squad | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | |
1981 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Squad | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | |
1985 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 4 | Squad | Qualified automatically | ||||||
1989 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
1991 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | Squad | Qualified automatically | ||||||
1993 | 6th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | Squad | ||||||||
1996 | 5th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Squad | ||||||||
1998 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
2000 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | Squad | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
2002 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | Squad | Qualified automatically | ||||||
2003 | Group stage | 9th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | |||||||
2005 | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Squad | ||||||||
2007 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | Squad | |||||||
2009 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | Squad | |||||||
2011 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Squad | |||||||
2013 | 11th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Squad | ||||||||
2015 | 10th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Squad | ||||||||
2017 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | Squad | |||||||
2019 | 6th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 6 | Squad | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
2021 | Semi-finals | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | |
2023 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | |
2025 | Qualified | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||
Total | 2 Titles | 20/28 | 76 | 30 | 23 | 23 | 106 | 93 | — | 32 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 65 | 26 |
The 1985 Championship was played over a seven-month period. The nine teams played in three round-robin groups. The three winners played the final round-robin group in August and September. [4]
Thanks to Canada's away win in Honduras three weeks earlier, Canada was one point ahead in the group table before the final match. This meant the winner would win the tournament and qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Considering the following 2–1 victory over Honduras came hand-in-hand with Canada's first and only World Cup qualification, it can be considered Canada's greatest success in soccer history. However, they managed to avoid the "big two", Mexico and the United States, because Mexico did not participate as hosts of the 1986 World Cup and the U.S. were eliminated by Costa Rica in the first round. [5]
At the World Cup the following year, Canada was eliminated after three defeats in the Group Stage to France, Hungary and the Soviet Union. [6]
Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue | Scorer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First round | Haiti | 2–0 | W | Victoria, Canada | I. Vrablic, M. Sweeney |
Guatemala | 2–1 | W | Victoria, Canada | D. Mitchell (2) | |
Guatemala | 1–1 | D | Guatemala City, Guatemala | D. Mitchell | |
Haiti | 2–0 | W | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | D. Mitchell, I. Vrablic | |
Final round | Costa Rica | 1–1 | D | Toronto, Canada | P. James |
Honduras | 1–0 | W | Tegucigalpa, Honduras | G. Pakos | |
Costa Rica | 0–0 | D | San José, Costa Rica | ||
Honduras | 2–1 | W | St John's, Canada | G. Pakos, I. Vrablic |
At the 2000 Gold Cup, twelve nations were divided into four groups of three teams, the first two of which would qualify for the knock-out matches. With Colombia, Peru and South Korea, three Non-CONCACAF-members participated as invitees.
After all three matches of Canada's Group D ended as draws, a coin toss was needed to determine whether Canada or South Korea would advance to the knockout stage. Canada won the toss and eventually the tournament, eliminating Mexico on the way and winning the final 2–0 against Colombia. [7] [8]
The title victory allowed Canada to represent CONCACAF at the 2001 Confederations Cup, where they were eliminated in the Group Stage. [9]
Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue | Scorer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Group stage | Costa Rica | 2–2 | D | San Diego, United States | C. Corazzin (2) |
South Korea | 0–0 | D | Los Angeles, United States | ||
Quarter-finals | Mexico | 2–1 ( a.e.t. ) | W | San Diego, United States | C. Corazzin, R. Hastings |
Semi-finals | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–0 | W | Los Angeles, United States | M. Watson |
Final | Colombia | 2–0 | W | Los Angeles, United States | J. de Vos, C. Corazzin |
Three Canadians were awarded the Golden Boot for best goalscorer at a CONCACAF Gold Cup: Carlo Corazzin with 4 goals in 2000, Alphonso Davies with 3 goals in 2017 and Jonathan David with 6 goals in 2019.
Rank | Player | Goals | Gold Cup(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Dale Mitchell | 7 | 1985 (4) and 1991 (3) |
2 | Dwayne De Rosario | 6 | 2002 (1), 2007 (3) and 2011 (2) |
Ali Gerba | 2005 (1), 2007 (3) and 2009 (2) | ||
Jonathan David | 2019 | ||
Junior Hoilett | 2017 (1), 2019 (2), 2021 (2) and 2023 (1) | ||
Lucas Cavallini | 2019 (5) and 2023 (1) | ||
7 | Tomasz Radzinski | 5 | 1996 (1) and 2000 (4) |
8 | Buzz Parsons | 3 | 1977 |
Igor Vrablic | 1985 | ||
Kevin McKenna | 2002 | ||
Alphonso Davies | 2017 | ||
Stephen Eustáquio | 2021 | ||
Cyle Larin | 2021 |
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champions of North America. The Gold Cup is held every two years. The tournament succeeded the CONCACAF Championship (1963–1989), with its inaugural edition being held in 1991.
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, abbreviated as CONCACAF, is one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football. Its 41 member associations represent countries and territories mainly in North America, including the Caribbean and Central America, and, for geopolitical reasons, 3 nations from the Guianas subregion of South America-Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The CONCACAF's primary functions are to organize competitions for national teams and clubs, and to conduct the World Cup and Women's World Cup qualifying tournaments.
The United States men's national soccer team, abbreviated (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which is a member of FIFA since 1914 and was a founding member of CONCACAF since 1961. It was also affiliated with NAFC, which was a predecessor confederation of CONCACAF and the governing soccer body in North America from 1946 to 1961.
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions since 1924. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association, the governing body for soccer in Canada. They have been a member of FIFA since 1948 and of CONCACAF since 1961.
The Mexico national football team represents Mexico in men's international football and is governed by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol. It has been a member of FIFA since 1929 and competes as a member of CONCACAF since 1961, of which it was one of the founding members. It was also a member of NAFC from 1946 to 1961, which was a predecessor confederation of CONCACAF and the governing football body in North America at the time.
The Honduras national football team represents Honduras in men's international football. The team is governed by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras. They are nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor, or La H.
The Bermuda national football team represents Bermuda in international football, and is controlled by the Bermuda Football Association, which is a member of the CONCACAF.
The CONCACAF W Championship is a women's association football competition for national teams organized by the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) that often serves as the qualifying competition to the Women's World Cup, and recently the Olympics. In years when the tournament has been held outside the World Cup qualifying cycle, non-CONCACAF members have been invited. CONCACAF is the governing body for football for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The most successful country has been the United States, winning their ninth title in 2022.
Giancarlo Michele "Carlo" Corazzin is a Canadian retired professional soccer player who played as a forward for Winnipeg Fury, Vancouver 86ers, Cambridge United, Plymouth Argyle, Northampton Town, Oldham Athletic and Vancouver Whitecaps at club level. At international level, he was capped 59 times for the Canada national team, scoring 11 goals.
The 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup final was a soccer match played on February 27, 2000 at the Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles to determine the winner of the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Canada beat invitees Colombia 2–0. This was Canada's first Gold Cup title and its second major title, the first since the 1985 CONCACAF Championship. As the Gold Cup champions, Canada represented CONCACAF at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup in Japan.
The association football tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics was held from 3 to 20 August in Brazil.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion(s). Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's soccer and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.