The Concacaf Gold Cup is the confederation’s premier event for national teams, crowning a champion every two years.

Initially involving eight teams, the Gold Cup has developed into a competition of 16 nations, which qualify via the Concacaf Nations League and the Gold Cup Prelims.

The Gold Cup has reached exceptional levels of popularity as evidenced by capacity crowds and a global TV audience of millions.

The Gold Cup has been contested on 16 previous occasions. Mexico owns a tournament-record eight titles, followed by the United States with seven and Canada with one.

The U.S. captured the inaugural championship in 1991, outlasting Honduras in the final 4-3 on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. That year, the entire tournament took place in two Southern California venues - the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl.

As evidence of its stunning growth, in 2019, the Gold Cup was played in the Caribbean and Central America for the very first time, with Jamaica and Costa Rica each hosting group stage matches. The 2019 Gold Cup also marked the first time in which 16 nations participated in the tournament.

The Gold Cup continues to grow and for the first time ever, a single-elimination Preliminary Round was part of the 2021 edition in lieu of the Gold Cup playoffs, with 12 teams vying for three spots in the 2021 Gold Cup group stage.

Concacaf Gold Cup
Final summary, Tournament Best Player and Top Scorer

 

2021
August 1, 2021: Allegiant Stadium -- Surprise, Nevada, USA (A: 61,114)
United States-Mexico 1-0
Miles Robinson 117’

Best Player: Hector Herrera, Mexico
Top Scorer: Almoez Ali, Qatar (4 goals)

2019
July 7, 2019: Soldier Field – Chicago, Illinois, USA (A: 62,493)
Mexico-United States 1-0
Jonathan dos Santos 73’

Best Player: Raul Jimenez, Mexico
Top Scorer: Jonathan David, Canada (6 goals)

2017
July 26, 2017: Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, California, USA (A: 63,032)
United State-Jamaica 2-1
Jozy Altidore 45’; Jordan Morris 88’ / Je-Vaughn Watson 50’

Best Player: Michael Bradley, United States
Top Scorer: Alphonso Davies, Canada; Kevin Parsemain, Martinique; Jordan Morris, United States (3 goals)

2015
July 26, 2015: Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (A: 68,930)
Jamaica-Mexico 1-3
Darren Mattocks 79’ / Andres Guardado 31’; Jesus Corona 46’; Oribe Peralta 61’

Best Player: Andres Guardado, Mexico
Top Scorer: Clint Dempsey, USA (7 goals)

2013
July 28, 2013: Soldier Field -- Chicago, Illinois, USA (A: 57,920)
USA-Panama 1-0 (0-0)
Brek Shea 69’

Best Player: Landon Donovan, USA
Top Scorer: Landon Donovan, USA; Gabriel Torres, Panama; Chris Wondolowski, USA (5 goals)

2011 
June 25, 2011: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, California, USA (A: 93,420)
USA-Mexico 2-4 (2-1)
Michael Bradley 8’; Landon Donovan 23’ / Pablo Barrera 29’, 50’; Andres Guardado 36’; Giovani Dos Santos 76’

Best Player: Javier Hernandez, Mexico
Top Scorer: Javier Hernandez, Mexico (7 goals)

2009
July 26, 2009: Giants Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA (A: 79,156)
USA-Mexico 0-5 (0-0)
Gerardo Torrado 56’; Giovani Dos Santos 62’; Carlos Vela 67’; Jose Antonio Castro 79’; Guillermo Franco 90’

Best Player: Giovani Dos Santos, Mexico
Top Scorer: Miguel Sabah, Mexico (4 goals)

2007
June 24, 2007: Soldier Field – Chicago, Illinois, USA (A: 60,000)
USA-Mexico 2-1 (0-1)
Landon Donovan 62’ pen; Benny Feilhaber 72’ / Andres Guardado 44’

Best Player: Julian De Guzman, Canada
Top Scorer: Carlos Pavon, Honduras (5 goals)

2005
July 24, 2005: Giants Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA (A: 31,018)
USA-Panama 0-0, 3:1 pens (0-0)

Best Player: Luis Tejada, Panama
Top Scorer: DaMarcus Beasley, USA; Landon Donovan, USA; Carlos Ruiz, Guatemala; Luis Tejada, Panama; Wilmer Velasquez, Honduras (3 goals)

2003
July 23, 2003: Estadio Azteca – Mexico City, Mexico (A: 80,000)
Brazil-Mexico 0-1 aet (0-0)
Daniel Osorno 97’

Best Player: Jesus Arellano, Mexico
Top Scorer: Landon Donovan, USA; Walter Centeno, Costa Rica (4 goals)

2002 
February 2, 2002: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, California, USA (A: 14,432)
USA-Costa Rica 2-0 (1-0)
Josh Wolff 37’; Jeff Agoos 63’

Best Player: Brian McBride, USA
Top Scorer: Brian McBride, USA (4 goals)

2000
February 27, 2000: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, California, USA (A: 7,000)
Canada-Colombia 2-0 (1-0)
Jason DeVos 45’; Carlo Corrazin 68’ pen

Best Player: Craig Forrest, Canada
Top Scorer: Carlo Corazzin, Canada (4 goals)

1998
February 15, 1998: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum -- Los Angeles, California, USA (A: 91,255)
USA-Mexico 0-1 (0-1)
Luis Hernandez 43’

Best Player: Kasey Keller, USA
Top Scorer: Luis Hernandez, Mexico (4 goals)

1996
January 21, 1996: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, California, USA (A: 88,155)
Mexico-Brazil 2-0 (0-0)
Luis Garcia 54’; Cuauhtemoc Blanco 75’

Best Player: Raul Rodrigo Lara, Mexico
Top Scorer: Eric Wynalda, USA (4 goals)

1993
July 25, 1993: Estadio Azteca – Mexico City, Mexico (A: 130,800)
Mexico-USA 4-0 (2-0)
Ignacio Ambriz 12’; own-goal 31’ (Desmond Armstrong); Luis Roberto Alves 71’; Guillermo Cantu 80’

Best Player: Ramon Ramirez, Mexico
Top Scorer: Luis Roberto Alves, Mexico (11 goals)

1991
July 7, 1991: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, California, USA (A: 39,873)
USA–Honduras 0-0, 4:3 pens (0-0)

Best Player: Tony Meola, USA
Top Scorer: Benjamin Galindo, Mexico (4 goals)