What to know for soccer's Gold Cup

Jesse Campigotto · CBC Sports

· Posted: Jun 17, 2025 4:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

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With Canada acceptable to co-host the FIFA World Cup in less than a year, the ascendant men's nationalist shot squad volition measurement its readiness implicit the adjacent fewer weeks astatine the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The biennial title for North and Central America and the Caribbean kicked disconnected connected Saturday successful the United States, and Canada plays its archetypal lucifer contiguous astatine 10 p.m. ET successful Vancouver against Honduras.

Here's what to cognize astir the tournament:

How it works

There are 16 teams, divided into 4 groups:

Group A: Mexico (ranked No. 17 successful the world), Costa Rica (54), Suriname (137), Dominican Republic (139).

Group B: Canada (30), Honduras (75), El Salvador (81), Curacao (90).

Group C: Panama (33), Jamaica (63), Guatemala (106), Guadeloupe

Group D: United States (16), Saudi Arabia (58), Haiti (83), Trinidad and Tobago (100).

Yes, Saudi Arabia seems retired of place. The Persian Gulf kingdom is of people not portion of the CONCACAF confederation, but it was invited to the Gold Cup arsenic a impermanent team — overmuch similar however Canada and 5 different CONCACAF countries joined past summer's Copa America, the South American championship.

The apical 2 teams successful each radical beforehand to the quarterfinals connected June 28 and 29 successful Glendale, Ariz., and Minneapolis. The semifinals are connected July 2 successful St. Louis and Santa Clara, Calif. The title last is connected July 6 successful Houston.

With the objection of the Canada-Honduras matchup contiguous astatine 10:30 p.m. ET astatine Vancouver's BC Place, each games are taking spot successful the United States. The U.S. is besides the superior big of adjacent year's World Cup, with Canada and Mexico serving arsenic co-hosts.

After tonight, Canada heads to Houston to look Curacao connected Saturday astatine 7 p.m. ET and El Salvador adjacent Tuesday astatine 10 p.m. ET.

WATCH | Is Canada acceptable to triumph the Gold Cup?

U.S., Mexico person owned this event

Going backmost to the inaugural Gold Cup successful 1991, Mexico has won 9 of the 17 titles portion the United has taken seven. The lone different state to triumph the Cup is Canada, which pulled disconnected a shocker successful 2000, upsetting three-time defending champion Mexico successful the quarterfinals earlier beating Colombia successful the last successful Los Angeles.

Mexico and the U.S. person alternated Gold Cup titles since 2011. The Mexicans are the defending champions aft defeating Panama successful the 2023 last successful L.A. Canada was eliminated successful the quarterfinals by the United States via punishment shootout.

The U.S. and Mexico are much oregon little co-favourites successful the betting markets, some listed astatine astir 2/1 to triumph the Cup. Canada is adjacent astatine astir 5/1, followed by Saudi Arabia astatine 8/1.

Canada connected the rise

The Canadians are a trendy prime to triumph their archetypal Gold Cup successful a 4th period aft their fantabulous tally astatine past summer's Copa America, which was besides hosted by the United States.

After giving Lionel Messi's World Cup champion Argentina a tally for their wealth successful a 2-0 nonaccomplishment to unfastened the South American championship, the impermanent Canadians precocious to the knockout signifier portion the U.S. and Mexico failed to get retired of their groups. Canada won its quarterfinal vs. Venezuela successful a punishment shootout earlier falling 2-0 to Argentina again successful the semis. The Canadians astir upset satellite No. 14 Uruguay successful the third-place match, giving up the tying extremity successful stoppage clip earlier losing a punishment shootout.

Canada besides topped the standings successful CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying tourney successful 2022 to  clinch the country's archetypal World Cup berth successful 36 years. So, contempt remaining good down the U.S. and Mexico successful the satellite rankings, there's an statement to beryllium made that Canada mightiness really beryllium the champion squad successful the portion now.

One crushed wherefore immoderate radical are precocious connected Canada winning this Gold Cup is that they're down connected the United States. The Americans entered the tourney with 4 consecutive losses, falling to Panama and Canada successful the CONCACAF Nations League Finals successful March earlier dropping back-to-back location friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland this month — the second by a people of 4-0.

The U.S. righted the vessel connected Sunday by pounding 100th-ranked Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 successful its Gold Cup opener, but tougher matchups await successful its radical with the Saudis and Haiti. Also, prima winger Christian Pulisic is skipping the tourney (and apparently feuding with U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino) aft a agelong play with AC Milan.

If the Americans flop (again), Canada volition inactive apt person to get past Mexico, which won the Nations League rubric and is astatine beauteous overmuch afloat spot for the Gold Cup. El Tri can besides number connected having a boisterous assemblage down them for the last successful Houston, which has a ample Mexican-American population. However, Mexico had a tougher clip than expected successful its tourney opener connected Saturday, holding connected for a 3-2 triumph implicit the 139th-ranked Dominican Republic.

WATCH | David goes 1 connected 1 with CBC Sports big Anastasia Bucsis:

Canada has cardinal absences

The large 1 is prima skipper Alphonso Davies, who's expected to beryllium sidelined until the autumn owed to the torn ACL he suffered during Canada's 2-1 triumph implicit the U.S. successful the inconsequential third-place lucifer astatine the CONCACAF Nations League Finals. Forward Liam Millar and defenders Moïse Bombito and Sam Adekugbe are besides out, portion cardinal midfielder Stephen Eustaquio won't beryllium capable to articulation Canada until his pro team, FC Porto, is eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup, besides taking spot successful the United States. Porto opened with a gully and continues radical play done Monday — the time earlier Canada's last radical match.

Canada volition besides beryllium without caput manager Jesse Marsch for its archetypal 2 matches arsenic helium serves a suspension stemming from his reddish paper for arguing with the referee during the Nations League lucifer against the U.S.

The Canadian subordinate to ticker close present is guardant Jonathan David. The all-time starring scorer for the men's nationalist squad has 3 goals successful 3 starts this twelvemonth for Canada. He scored doubly successful a 4-2 triumph implicit Ukraine connected June 7 arsenic portion of the Canadian Shield mini-tournament successful Toronto. Canada won it contempt losing its different lucifer successful a punishment shootout to Ivory Coast

For much connected David, read this piece by CBC Sports contributor Chris Jones. And here's much connected Canada's roster for the Gold Cup.