The
CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
, determining the regional champion of
North AmericaThe North American Football Union, often referred to by the acronym NAFU, is a regional grouping under CONCACAF of national football organizations in the North American Zone.-Members:...
, Central America, and the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean Football Union, often referred to by the acronym CFU, is the nominal governing body for Caribbean football. It represents 25 FIFA member nations, as well as 5 territories that are not affiliated to FIFA. Its member associations compete in the CONCACAF region...
.
The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an edition of the
FIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
, the winner, or highest placed team that is a member of both CONCACAF and FIFA, qualifies for the next staging of that tournament.
History
Prior to the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) being formed in 1961, association football in the region was divided into smaller, regional divisions. The two main bodies consisted of the Confederación Centroamericana y del Caribe de Fútbol (CCCF) founded in 1938 (consisting of
Central AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and most of the Caribbean) and the North American Football Confederation (
NAFCThe North American Football Confederation was founded in 1946 and a forerunner to the CONCACAF as the governing body of football in North America until 1961, when it merged with the CCCF/Confederacion Centroamericana y del Caribe de Futbol to form CONCACAF....
) founded in 1946 (consisting of the
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n nations of United States, Mexico, Canada, and Cuba). Each confederation held its own competition, the
CCCF ChampionshipThe CCCF Championship was a football tournament made just for teams in the area of Central America and the Caribbean between the years of 1941–1961. It was founded in 1938 and the precursor of the CONCACAF, that was formed when CCCF merged with the NAFC in 1961...
and the
NAFC ChampionshipThe NAFC Championship was a football tournament for teams in the area of North America between the years of 1947 and 1949...
. The CCCF held 10 championships from 1941–1961, Costa Rica winning seven (1941, ’46, ’48, ’53, ’55, ’60, ’61), and one each by El Salvador (1943), Panama (1951) and Haiti (1957). The NAFC held two championships, in 1947 and 1949, won each time by Mexico.
CONCACAF Championship
CONCACAF was founded in its current form in 1961 after the merging of NAFC and CCCF and thus resulted in a single competition being held for the continent. However, the first official national team competition was not held until more than two years had passed, with El Salvador being selected as the first hosting country (1963). The CONCACAF Campeonato de Naciones, as it was called, was then held every two years from 1963-1971. The second edition (1965) held in Guatemala, saw Mexico defeat the host in the final of a six-team tournament. The 1967 competition was held in Honduras and saw a third different champion crowned, Guatemala. Costa Rica won their second title as hosts in 1969, knocking off Guatemala, while two years later, Mexico won their second championship as the tournament moved to the Caribbean for the first time, held in Trinidad & Tobago. In 1973, the tournament kept the same format of six teams in one site playing a single round-robin, but now there were bigger stakes attached: the Confederation’s berth in the FIFA World Cup finals. In Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the host country pulled off a shocking upset by winning the tournament and claiming a spot in West Germany 1974.
With the Campeonato de Naciones doubling as the final World Cup qualifying tournament, the next two editions were held in Ciudad de México and Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 1977 and 1981, respectively, the host country came away as champion and grabbed the spots on offers each time. In 1985 and 1989, the winner of the World Cup qualifying tournament was again crowned Confederation champion. Canada and Costa Rica were named champions in ’85 and ’89, respectively, but without ever lifting a trophy.
CONCACAF Gold Cup
In 1990, CONCACAF again created a tournament as its showpiece event to crown the regional champion. The event was named the CONCACAF Gold Cup, with the USA hosting the first competition in
1991-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Benjamin Galindo3 goals Dale Mitchell Eduardo Bennet Luis Cálix Carlos Hermosillo...
. The host country was the inaugural champion of the eight-team tournament. Mexico dominated the remainder of the decade, winning three consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup titles in
1993-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:11 goals Zaguinho5 goals Luis Miguel Salvador4 goals Eduardo Bennett3 goals Juan Arnoldo Cayasso Octavio Mora...
,
1996The 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the third edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
and
1998The 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
. In the
1996 editionThe 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the third edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
, the Gold Cup field included its first guest team, inviting the defending FIFA World Cup Champions Brazil.
Starting with the
2000 Gold CupThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
, the tournament field was increased to twelve teams. Canada made history winning their first major international honour in more than 100 years of football.
The
2007 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
was contested in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from June 6 to June 24, 2007 where the hosts successfully defended their title beating Mexico in the final 2-1 in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; Canada and
GuadeloupeThe Guadeloupe regional football team represents the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue Guadeloupéenne de Football , a local branch of French Football Federation ....
shared third-place. The 2009 Gold Cup took place July 3 to July 26, 2009. with Mexico claiming the title after beating the United States by a 5-0 score.
Since the formation of the Gold Cup in 1991, the CONCACAF Championship has been won six times by Mexico, four times by the United States, and once by Canada.
Qualification
North American zoneThe North American Football Union, often referred to by the acronym NAFU, is a regional grouping under CONCACAF of national football organizations in the North American Zone.-Members:...
- Qualifies automatically, 3 teams.
Central American zone
- qualifies from Central American Cup, top 5 teams.
Caribbean zoneThe Caribbean Football Union, often referred to by the acronym CFU, is the nominal governing body for Caribbean football. It represents 25 FIFA member nations, as well as 5 territories that are not affiliated to FIFA. Its member associations compete in the CONCACAF region...
- qualifies from Caribbean Cup
The Caribbean Cup, formerly known as the Copa Caribe, is the championship tournament for national association football teams that are members of the Caribbean Football Union. The first competition was contested in 1989 in Barbados. The Caribbean Cup also serves as a qualification tournament among...
, top 4 teams.
Tournament results
| CONCACAF Championship |
| Year |
Host |
|
Final Group Rank |
| Winner |
Runner-up |
3rd Place |
4th Place |
1963 Details-Group A:Results-----------------------------------------Group B:Results-------------------------Final round:-------------------------External links:*...
|
El Salvador |
|
|
|
|
1965 Details-Qualifying Tournament:-------------Final tournament:-------------------------------------------------------------See also:...
|
Guatemala |
|
|
|
|
1967 Details-Final tournament:-------------------------------------------------------------See also:...
|
Honduras |
|
|
|
|
1969 Details-Awards:-Scorers:3 Goals Víctor Ruiz César Melgar Marcio Fión2 goals Cascante Roy Sáenz J. Grant Regales Loefstok Martljin Adelbert Toppenberg Ulrich Haynes...
|
Costa Rica |
|
|
|
|
1971 Details-Final tournament:-------------------------------------------------------------Result:-External links:****...
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
|
|
|
|
1973 DetailsThe 1973 CONCACAF Championship, the 6th staging of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Haiti from November 29 to December 18. All matches were played at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince. This is the first edition to double as qualification for the World Cup. Haiti became winners for the... (1) |
Haiti |
|
|
|
|
1977 DetailsMexico qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.-See also:*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification... (1) |
Mexico |
|
|
|
|
1981 Details (1) |
Honduras |
|
|
|
|
1985 Details-Group 2:Canada advanced to the second round.---------------------Group 3:Costa Rica advanced to the second round.---------------------Final round:Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.--------... (1) |
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean... , No Fixed Venue |
|
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|
1989 DetailsThe 1989 CONCACAF Championship was the last edition of the CONCACAF Championship held under the format of serving as qualification to the 1990 FIFA World Cup and having no host nation for the final round.... (1) |
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean... , No Fixed Venue |
|
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|
| CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| Year |
Host |
|
Final |
|
Third Place Match |
| Winner |
Score |
Runner-up |
3rd Place |
Score |
4th Place |
1991 Details-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Benjamin Galindo3 goals Dale Mitchell Eduardo Bennet Luis Cálix Carlos Hermosillo...
|
United States |
|
0–0 a.e.t. Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
(4–3 penA penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game... ) |
|
|
2–0 |
|
1993 Details-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:11 goals Zaguinho5 goals Luis Miguel Salvador4 goals Eduardo Bennett3 goals Juan Arnoldo Cayasso Octavio Mora...
|
United States & Mexico |
|
4–0 |
|
|
1–1 a.e.t.Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination... (2) |
|
1996 DetailsThe 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the third edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
United States |
|
2–0 |
|
|
3–0 |
|
1998 DetailsThe 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
United States |
|
1–0 |
|
|
1–0 |
|
2000 DetailsThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
|
United States |
|
2–0 |
|
(3) |
2002 DetailsThe 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the sixth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
United States |
|
2–0 |
|
|
2–1 |
|
2003 DetailsThe 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the seventh edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
United States & Mexico |
|
1–0 a.s.d.e.t. |
|
|
3–2 |
|
2005 DetailsThe 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the eighth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested in the United States in July 2005. The United States emerged victorious in the final against an upstart Panama team led by tournament...
|
United States |
|
0–0 a.e.t. Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
(3–1 penA penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game... ) |
|
Not held(3) |
|
2007 DetailsThe 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
|
United States |
|
2–1 |
|
|
2009 DetailsThe 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the tenth edition of the Gold Cup competition, and the twentieth association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested from 3 July to 26 July 2009 in the United States. This competition was the fourth tournament...
|
United States |
|
5–0 |
|
|
2011 DetailsThe 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
United States |
|
4–2 |
|
|
(invited teams in italics)
1 No formal tournament was held. In qualification for the World Cup, the top team in qualifying was considered champion.
2 Costa Rica and Jamaica tied 1–1 after extra time and shared third place.
No third place match was played; third place was shared.