2026 Concacaf Central American Cup Kicks Off

07/28/2026 - 7:11 PM

Central American Cup Kicks Off

The tournament offers a pathway to the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Fourth edition of regional club competition begins with 20 clubs competing for regional crown
Tournament will run through December, with six clubs qualifying for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup
LD Alajuelense enters as the competition’s three-time defending champion

Miami, FL – The 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup will kick off today, Tuesday, July 28. The fourth edition of the tournament will feature 20 clubs competing for the regional title.

Pathway to Continental Competition

In addition to the regional crown, the Central American Cup offers a pathway to the 2027 edition of the region’s premier men’s club competition, the Concacaf Champions Cup.

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 competition.

View this post on Instagram

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.

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.

Where to Watch

Fans can follow the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup through the Confederation’s official broadcast partners, including Paramount+ (United States – English), Fox (Mexico), ESPN and Disney+ (Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean), and OneSoccer (Canada).

Tournament History

Costa Rica’s LD Alajuelense enters the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup as the competition’s three-time defending champion, having lifted the trophy in each of the tournament’s first three editions. The Costa Rican club defeated Nicaragua’s Real Estelí in the 2023 and 2024 Finals before overcoming Guatemala’s Xelajú MC in 2025 to complete a historic three-peat.

Groups

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)