The Concacaf Gold Cup is the Confederation’s premier event for national teams, crowning a champion every two years.
Initially involving eight teams, the Gold Cup has developed into a competition of 16 nations, which qualify via the Concacaf Nations League and the Gold Cup Prelims.
The Gold Cup has reached exceptional levels of popularity as evidenced by capacity crowds and a global TV audience of millions.
The Gold Cup has been contested on 15 previous occasions. Mexico owns a tournament-record eight titles, followed by the United States with six and Canada with one.
The U.S. captured the inaugural championship in 1991, outlasting Honduras in the final 4-3 on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. That year, the entire tournament took place in two Southern California venues - the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl.
As evidence of its stunning growth, in 2019, the Gold Cup was played in the Caribbean and Central America for the very first time, with Jamaica and Costa Rica each hosting group stage matches. The 2019 Gold Cup also marked the first time in which 16 nations participated in the tournament.
The Gold Cup continues to grow and for the first time ever, a single-elimination Preliminary Round will be part of the 2021 edition in lieu of the Gold Cup playoffs, with 12 teams vying for three spots in the 2021 Gold Cup group stage.
