MIAMI, Florida – The 2023 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship (CBSC) will kick off in the Bahamas with 12 teams vying to lift the trophy and the top two teams clinching berths in the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Headlining the list is defending champions El Salvador, who captured the crown in 2021 when they defeated the United States in the Final.
Nine-time participants El Salvador are two-time winners of the CBSC (2009, 2021) and have been drawn into Group A along with Costa Rica, Guadeloupe, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Costa Rica will be making their 10th CBSC appearance and are no strangers to deep runs, having finished as runners-up in the 2009 and 2015 editions.
Guadeloupe are competing in their fourth CBSC and enjoyed a best finish of fourth in 2017, while Turks and Caicos Islands hope to advance past the group stage for the first time in five appearances.
Four-time champions Mexico head up Group B where they will take on host nation Bahamas, Guatemala and Belize.
El Tricolor are making their 10th CBSC appearance and will be trying to add a fifth crown to their collection, having emerged as champions in 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
Bahamas are in their eighth CBSC and reached three straight quarterfinals in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 tournaments. Led by veteran Lesly St. Fleur, who also plays on grass with the Bahamas Men’s National Team, the hosts will look to put on a show for the home fans.
Guatemala were excellent in their last CBSC in 2021 with a third-place finish and will be aiming for another deep run in what will be their sixth participation, while Belize are seeking a first ever knockout round appearance in their fifth CBSC.
Rounding out the group stage is Group C which boasts a pair of past champions in the United States (2006, 2013) and Panama (2017). The U.S. are playing in their 10th CBSC, while the Canaleros are in their fifth.
Trinidad and Tobago and Dominican Republic are also in Group C, with Trinidad and Tobago in their sixth CBSC and the Dominican Republic in just their second. Trinidad and Tobago have reached the quarterfinals of the last four editions, so no doubt they would like to go a step further in the Bahamas, while the Dominican Republic are targeting a first ever knockout round appearance.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, along with the top two third-place finishers.
