2026 Central American Cup Groups Confirmed

05/27/2026 - 12:51 AM

Central American Cup Groups

The fourth edition of this regional tournament will feature 20 clubs and take place from July to December 2026.

Tournament to feature 20 of Central America’s top clubs
Fourth edition will be held from July to December 2026
Six clubs will qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup

Miami, FL - Concacaf has conducted the draw for the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup. The fourth edition of this regional tournament, which determines Central America’s club champion and serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, will feature 20 clubs and take place from July to December 2026.

The made-for-TV draw event, live from Miami, FL, was hosted by Arantza Fernández and featured appearances by Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio, as well as former standout players Amado Guevara of Honduras and Pablo Melgar from Guatemala.

During Tuesday’s official draw, the 20 Central American clubs, each having qualified through their respective domestic leagues, were divided into four groups, as follows:

Group A

LD Alajuelense (CRC)
Plaza Amador (PAN)
Club Xelajú (GUA)
L.A. Firpo (SLV)
Diriangén FC (NCA)

Group B

CS Herediano (CRC)
Antigua GFC (GUA)
CD Marathón (HON)
Real Estelí (NCA)
Alianza FC (SLV)

Group C

Club Olimpia (HON)
Saprissa (CRC)
Deportivo Mixco (GUA)
Alianza FC (PAN)
UMECIT FC (PAN)

Group D

CSD Municipal (GUA)
FC Montagua (HON)
CS Cartaginés (CRC)
CD FAS (SLV)
Verdes FC (BLZ)

COMPETITION FORMAT

The tournament will begin with a Group Stage comprising four groups of five clubs each. Clubs will play each other team in their group once for a total of four matches per club (two at home and two away) across five scheduled weeks.

Following the conclusion of the Group Stage, the top two finishers in each group will advance to the Knockout Stage, which will consist of home-and-away series. The stage will begin with the Quarterfinals, followed by the Semifinals and Play-In, and conclude with the Final, where Central America’s champion will be crowned.

The four semifinalists and the two play-in winners (a total of six clubs) will qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. The champion will also receive a bye to the Round of 16 in the Confederation’s premier club competition.

For the Quarterfinals, eight qualified teams (four group winners and four runners-up) will be ranked 1–8 based on their Group Stage performance. Group winners will be seeded 1–4 and runners-up 5–8, with matchups set as follows: 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5. The four highest-ranked teams will host the second-leg matches.

For the Semifinals and Play-In, pairings will be determined based on the tournament bracket. In each matchup, the higher-ranked club based on overall competition performance will host the second leg.