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2026 Central American Cup Participating Clubs and Draw Pots Confirmed

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Central American Cup Clubs and Pots Confirmed

The official draw for the 2026 Central American Cup will be conducted on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

  • All 20 participating clubs have now qualified for the fourth edition of the Central American Cup
  • Clubs have been distributed into five pots according to Concacaf Club Ranking for the draw
  • Fans can follow the live event on Concacaf's YouTube channel on May 26 8 p.m. ET

Miami, FL — Concacaf has confirmed the complete field of 20 clubs that have qualified to compete in the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup and revealed the pots in which each has been allocated for the official draw. The fourth edition of the regional competition will be played between July and December, and serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.

The official draw for the 2026 Central American Cup will be conducted on Tuesday, May 26, in Miami, FL. Fans can follow the made-for-TV event on Concacaf’s Broadcast partner networks and the confederation’s YouTube channel starting at 8 p.m. ET.

PARTICIPATING CLUBS

The tournament will feature 20 clubs from seven Concacaf Central American Member Associations, each of which secured a berth based on its performance in its domestic league. These clubs are (in alphabetical order by country):

  • Belize (1): Verdes FC
  • Costa Rica (4): CS Herediano, CS Cartaginés, Deportivo Saprissa, LD Alajuelense
  • El Salvador (3): Alianza FC, CD FAS, LA Firpo
  • Guatemala (4): Antigua GFC, Club Xelajú, CSD Municipal, Deportivo Mixco
  • Honduras (3): CD Marathón, Club Olimpia, FC Motagua
  • Nicaragua (2): Diriangén FC, Real Estelí FC
  • Panamá (3): Alianza FC, Plaza Amador, UMECIT FC

DRAW PROCEDURES AND POTS

On May 26, Concacaf will conduct the draw for the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup Group Stage. The draw will be executed using a single-blind system involving five pots. The participating clubs have been distributed into five pots according to their Concacaf Club Ranking as of May 25, 2026. The five pots will be divided as follows:

  • Pot 1 (four highest-ranked clubs): LD Alajuelense, CS Herediano, Club Olimpia, CSD Municipal
  • Pot 2 (four next highest-ranked clubs): Saprissa, Plaza Amador, Antigua GFC, FC Motagua
  • Pot 3 (four next highest-ranked clubs): Club Xelajú, CS Cartaginés, CD Marathón, Deportivo Mixco
  • Pot 4 (four next highest-ranked clubs): Alianza FC, LA Firpo, Real Estelí, CD FAS
  • Pot 5 (four lowest-ranked clubs): Diriangén FC, Alianza FC, UMECIT FC, Verdes FC

The draw will begin by randomly selecting a sphere from Pot 1 and placing that club in Group A, position A1. This process will be replicated for all Pot 1 spheres, with clubs placed in sequential order in positions 1 of Groups B, C, and D.

The same procedure will be followed for Pots 2, 3, 4, and 5, using group positions 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. At the end of the draw, each group will contain one club from each pot and no more than two clubs from the same Member Association.

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 27-club competition.

DATES

  • Group Stage Week 1: July 28-30, 2026
  • Group Stage Week 2: August 4-6, 2026
  • Group Stage Week 3: August 11-13, 2026
  • Group Stage Week 4: August 18-20, 2026
  • Group Stage Week 5: August 25-27, 2026
  • Quarterfinals: September 8-10 and September 15-17, 2026
  • Semifinals and Play-In: October 20-22 and 27-29, 2026
  • Finals: December 2 and 6, 2026

HOW TO FOLLOW THE DRAW

Fans worldwide will be able to follow and enjoy the live event on Concacaf’s YouTube channel and through the Confederation's TV partner networks in the region.

Fans can also follow updates on the competition’s official social media platforms, including X (@TheChampions), Facebook (facebook.com/TheChampions), Instagram (@TheChampions), and TikTok (@Concachampions).

CLUB RANKING UPDATE

LD Alajuelense (1,155) enters the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup draw as the highest-ranked club in Central America according to the latest Concacaf Club Rankings as of May 25, 2026. The Costa Rican side leads the region ahead of fellow Costa Rican club CS Herediano (1,151), Honduras’ Club Olimpia (1,149), and Guatemala’s CSD Municipal (1,147), with all four clubs earning placement in Pot 1 for the draw.

CS Herediano and CSD Municipal posted notable gains in the latest rankings update, each climbing six positions to strengthen their place among Central America’s top clubs.

Panama’s Plaza Amador (1,120) also moved up in the latest update, advancing one position to secure its place in Pot 2.

Central American Cup
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