- Concacaf President Victor Montagliani hails football first Gold Cup enhancements and welcomes return of fans to stadiums
- 16thedition of Concacaf’s flagship men’s national team competition begins Friday with three Preliminary Round matches
As we head into the opening weekend of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, I want to welcome all the Federations, their teams and of course the fans to what will surely be an outstanding month of football.
The action begins on Friday with a first ever Gold Cup Preliminary Round which provides 12 Concacaf men’s national teams with the opportunity to compete for the final three spots in the Gold Cup Group Stage.
At Concacaf, we have long committed to providing more access to top level football for our Member Associations and the Prelims delivers on that, while maintaining the 16 team Group Stage format that we know fans enjoy.
Since I was elected Concacaf President in 2016, the administration has made it a priority to put football first. We constantly strive to grow and improve everything from our elite competitions like Gold Cup and the Concacaf Women’s Championship, to our development programs that encourage participation at the grassroots of the game all over our region.
2021 is our 60th anniversary year as a Confederation and we have a lot of football history to celebrate, not least the growth and development of Gold Cup. A competition that started in 1991 with eight teams competing in two stadiums in the Los Angeles area has grown exponentially.
The 2021 edition will be the 16th Gold Cup and will take place across 11 stadiums in eight metropolitan areas, including four new Gold Cup venues in the DRV PNK Stadium (CF Inter Miami), Exploria Stadium (Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride), Q2 Stadium (Austin FC) and the venue for the Gold Cup Final, Las Vegas’ state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium.
As part of a new holistic men’s national teams ecosystem, we introduced Gold Cup qualification through our new Concacaf Nations League. In the September, October and November 2019 FIFA match windows, all 41 Concacaf men’s national teams played out 102 compelling Nations League matches that qualified 12 teams into this year’s Gold Cup Group Stage, and a further 12 teams who will compete in the Gold Cup Prelims that kick off on Friday.
To further build on the anticipation leading into this edition of the tournament, last year we hosted a first ever Gold Cup draw to determine the matchups in the Prelims and the Group Stage, and we announced that the champions of Asia, the 2019 AFC Asian Cup winners Qatar, would compete as a guest participant.
We have also added a number of football first enhancements to this year’s Gold Cup which will drive even more competition on the field, and make for an even better spectacle for the fans.
- The final group stage matches will be played simultaneously to drive competition among rival teams
- For the first time, the top ranked teams can meet before the Final depending on their group stage play
- This will be the first Gold Cup with Video Assistant Referees (VAR)
Ultimately, football is about players and fans. When the sport could safely resume during the pandemic, the players did a great job on the field, but I think we can all agree it was not the same without the fans in stadiums. As we head into the 2021 Gold Cup, I look forward to seeing the region’s top men’s national team players show their skills on the pitch. But what I most eagerly anticipate is hearing the cheering and passion from the crowds. Their love for the game is what makes football so special.
Good luck to all the Gold Cup teams, their players and coaches. And to the sporting and administrative staff in all the delegations, the referees, the broadcasters and Concacaf partners and my colleagues at Concacaf, who work so diligently behind the scenes to make this great tournament happen.
To the thousands of fans who will attend in the stadiums and the millions who will watch at home, thank you so much for your support.
One Concacaf.
Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President
