The Gold Cup is the top international tournament in North and Central American soccer. It pits together the very best from across CONCACAF, the governing body for North American, Central American and Caribbean nations.

The 2023 edition was the standout even in the men’s game this summer, as the United States and Mexico chased more continental success.

With an added focus on the Gold Cup ahead of the 2026 World Cup heading to North America, here’s all you need to know about CONCACAF’s top prize.

What	CONCACAF Gold Cup
Where	United States
When	2025
How to watch	FOX, FS1

2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Schedule & Results

Winners

Mexico

Mexico extended their lead as CONCACAF's most successful nation with a 1-0 win over Panama at the SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

Santiago Gimenez's 88th minute finish was enough to see 'El Tri' win their ninth Gold Cup, after they had seen an opening goal ruled out by VAR in the 33rd minute.

The victory is the perfect rebound following Mexico's worst World Cup performance in nearly 50 years in Qatar, and may open the door for manager Jaime Lozano to step into the job full time following his interim appointment at the beginning of June, only days before the tournament.

Final Result

Sunday, July 16

Mexico 1, Panama 0

Semifinal results

Wednesday, July 12

USA 1, Panama 1 (Panama wins 5-4 in pens)

Mexico 3, Jamaica 0

Quarterfinal results

Saturday, July 8

Panama 4, Qatar 0

Mexico 2, Costa Rica 0

Sunday, July 9

Jamaica 1, Guatemala 0

USA 2, Canada 2 (USA wins 3-2 in pens)

When is the CONCACAF Gold Cup?

The Gold Cup is held every two years, usually during June and July. The first edition of the tournament was held in 1991 in the USA.

The tournament was held in even-numbered years early on and moved to January or February during the early years of MLS. However, it switched to the summer format in 2003.

The 2023 edition was the 17th time the competition has been held. It’s expected to return in 2025, although FIFA’s new Club World Cup is being held in the USA that same summer and it could overlap with when the Gold Cup is expected to be played.

Where is the Gold Cup being held?

The 2025 Gold Cup is due to be held in the United States.

Every edition of the Gold Cup has been at least partially played in the USA. The second edition in 1993 was split between a venue each in the US and Mexico, but outside of that the majority of games have been played in the States.

The US were the sole host in 2017 and 2021, but in recent years they’ve shared some games out to Costa Rica, Jamaica and Canada. There hasn’t been a Gold Cup game played in Mexico since the Mexicans defeated Brazil in the 2003 final on home soil. 

How many teams play in the Gold Cup?

The Gold Cup started in the early 90s with just eight teams taking part, but that number had doubled by 2019.

The 2023 edition features 16 teams, which includes 15 of the 41 CONCACAF member states. Qatar were invited as a guest in the competition, having reached the semi-finals in their first appearance in 2021.

A number of guest sides have been invited over the years. Brazil were runners-up in both 1996 and 2003, while fellow South American side Colombia made the final in 2000.

It has been used as a warm-up for World Cup hosts on three occasions. South Korea finished fourth in 2002, South Africa made the last eight in 2005 and guests were welcomed back 16 years later as Qatar made the last four in 2021. 

A report in early 2023 suggested that the Gold Cup could expand to 24 teams in 2025 as a warm-up for the 2026 World Cup, but the announcement of the 2025 Club World Cup could hamper that.

Can I watch the Gold Cup?

The Gold Cup has been broadcast on Fox Sports since 2000 and they continue to hold the rights in the US.

Who has won the Gold Cup on the most occasions?

Mexico claimed a record ninth Gold Cup with their 2023 win, extending their lead over the United States, who have won the tournament seven times, most recently in 2021.

Those two sides have won 16 of the last 17 editions of the Gold Cup, with Canada’s sole victory coming in 2000. That was the only year in which neither of North America’s big two made the final.

The US and Mexico have met each other in seven Gold Cup finals, with Mexico winning five of those clashes.