The CONCACAF Gold Cup – the official national team championship of North, Central America and the Caribbean – will expand to include 16 competing nations for the upcoming 2019 edition and beyond.
Pan-regional format
The Confederation is also exploring a pan-regional format for the 2019 Gold Cup, which would feature matches played outside the United States, including the possibility of matches in Central America and the Caribbean.
By adding more teams and exploring the possibility of new host nations, the historic 15th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, in the summer of 2019, will set highs for number of participating CONCACAF Member Associations, providing access to the highest level of international football for 16 teams and fans from a wider representation of the CONCACAF region, after the CONCACAF Council approved the initiative.
Qualifying format revealed March 7
The qualifying process for the 16 teams who will participate in the 2019 Gold Cup will be fully revealed at the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League launch event, on March 7 in Miami Beach.
“The expansion of the Gold Cup and the upcoming launch of the CONCACAF Nations League are key steps in delivering on the ONE CONCACAF Vision, to make the region’s most competitive football more accessible to more of our Confederation’s teams, players and fans,” said CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani. “By widening access to these important tournaments for more of our Member Associations, we work towards our goal of ensuring that the football produced in the CONCACAF region is of the highest quality in the world.”
The biennial Gold Cup is the region’s top prize for national teams, and for over 25 years has featured top quality stars and national teams from across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, as well as invited guests from South America, Asia and Africa.