Gold Cup to move to two eight-team groups from 2027

Concacaf is changing the Gold Cup group stage starting with the 2027 tournament.

The Gold Cup is the regional championship for men’s national teams from North, Central America and the Caribbean.

Instead of four groups of four, the 16 teams will be split into two groups of eight.

Each team will play four group-stage matches, one more than before, against a balanced mix of opponents.

Concacaf says the format should create more early games between top teams, including potential matchups involving Mexico and the United States.

The top four teams in each group will reach the knockout rounds, which remain single elimination.

The 2027 tournament runs from June 17 to July 11, and its host has not yet been announced.