CONCACAF has announced its competition calendar for the next four years, ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
In addition to the World Cup qualifying, the federation’s Nations League and Gold Cup tournaments will also take place continue in the coming years. The Nations League matches will then start in September 2026, while the Gold Cup returns in June-July 2027.
“Over the past four-plus years, our Confederation has had both the privilege and the responsibility of preparing our members to participate in and host the greatest FIFA World Cup in history, a tournament in which a record number of our countries will participate,” said Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani. “When the World Cup concludes next summer, an extraordinary chapter of growth and achievement for our region will come to an end, ushering in an exciting new period.
“Looking ahead, the four-year calendar we have developed will ensure our members can continue to pursue their next goals through consistent elite competition, whether that means earning promotion into the Concacaf Nations League, qualifying for or winning the Concacaf Gold Cup, or ultimately reaching the pinnacle of our sport: the FIFA World Cup,” Montagliani added.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and CONCACAF will give at least six representatives a guaranteed place in that tournament. A seventh CONCACAF nation could also reach the World Cup if they progress through an intercontinental play-off.
The first round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying will consist of home-and-away knockout matches starting in September 2027, followed by group stage play in the second and final rounds, and culminating in a home-and-away Play-In.
Should a team control the rankings from round one to the intercontinental play-off, they will play matches from September 2027 to November 2029.
The CONCACAF Nations League will resume in the fall of 2026
The next two editions of the Concacaf Nations League are scheduled for 2026-27 and 2028-29, the federation announced.
They are still played under the existing three-league system (Leagues AC) and serve as a qualifying route for the Gold Cup. The composition of each League is determined based on the results of the previous edition.
In addition, the competition will also introduce finals for competitions B and C, starting with the 2026-27 edition. This adds eight additional matches to the total tournament.
Mexico are the reigning Nations League winners after beating Panama 2-1 in the tournament final last March.
CONCACAF Gold Cup returns in summer 2027
The CONCACAF Gold Cup will not take place this summer due to the Football World Cup, but will return in June 2027.
The next edition of the biennial tournament will take place from June-July 2027, while the preliminary rounds will take place in March of that year. Teams will qualify for the 16-team competition through the 2026-27 Nations League and the 2027 Gold Cup Prelims, with detailed qualifying procedures for each edition to be announced at a later date.
Mexico are the reigning Gold Cup winners after losing 2-1 to the USMNT in the July 2025 final.
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