December 20 – Saudi Arabia will compete in next summer’s 16-team Concacaf Gold Cup, played mostly on the West coast of the United States.

To date eight Concacaf teams have qualified through the Concacaf Nations League, with a further seven teams to be confirmed following the Gold Cup preliminary round play-offs in March 2025.

The eight Concacaf teams that have qualified for the Gold Cup Group Stage are Canada, Curacao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and the United States.
Saudi Arabia follows in Qatar’s recent footsteps in being a guest at the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups, and previous guest countries include Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Qatar, South Africa, South Korea.

Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said: “We are very pleased that through our relationship with the Asian Football Confederation, we can collaborate with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and their President Yasser Al-Misehal, both on and off the pitch, and we look forward to welcoming one of Asia’s best men’s national teams to compete with the best in Concacaf.”
“With the next edition of the Gold Cup just one year from 2026, this is a fantastic opportunity to capitalize on the growing interest in the sport in our region and promises to be the best edition ever.”

Concacaf has a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the AFC, of ​​which the Saudi FA is a member, as well as a separate agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Saudi participation in the Gold Cup will also feature collaboration in football development and CSR initiatives, including significant knowledge exchange between the hosts of the 2026 and 2034 World Cups. Energy giant Saudi Aramco has been a sponsor of Concacaf for 18 months.

SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal said: “It is a great honor to represent the Asian Football Confederation at this prestigious tournament. Representing your country abroad is an honor that all Saudis take very seriously, especially in the year before our friends at Concacaf help stage the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. As the host country for the FIFA World Cup, this learning opportunity is a responsibility that SAFF will undertake wholeheartedly. Football is a national obsession in Saudi Arabia and our mission is to grow together and help develop the sport globally.”

The playoff path is paved

Concacaf has also confirmed the qualification paths for 14 men’s national teams competing for the final seven qualifying slots.

The Prelims match, determined by Concacaf Nations League results and Concacaf Rankings, is Costa Rica vs. Belize, Jamaica vs. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Honduras vs. Bermuda, Guatemala vs. Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago vs. Cuba, Martinique vs Suriname, and Nicaragua vs Guadeloupe.

After home and away matches in March 2025, the winner of the aggregate score in each match will qualify for the Group Stages of the Gold Cup. The group draw will be held in April 2025. The Gold Cup will be played from June 14 to July 6.

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