The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off on Saturday. The tournament is the final batch of competitive matches for the United States, Mexico and Canada before the three nations host the 2026 World Cup. It's an important tournament for those three nations, as well as up-and-coming countries like Panama and Costa Rica who are looking to stake their claim at the top of the Concacaf hierarchy.
Here at SixOneFive Soccer, we're previewing the full tournament, with odds, lineups and predictions for all 16 teams. Follow along with us as we preview this tournament.
Format
16 teams will participate in the Gold Cup, 15 from Concacaf with Saudi Arabia making up numbers (yes, it's a bit weird, but it's a whole discussion on its own).
The teams are drawn into four groups following the classic international tournament blueprint; three points for a win, one point for a draw, zero for a loss. The top two sides from each group advance to the Quarterfinals, and from that point it's a single-elimination knockout tournament.
Mexico kick off the tournament on Saturday, June 14 against the Dominican Republic in Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium. The final takes place on Sunday, July 6 at Houston's NRG Stadium.
Group A
Mexico 🇲🇽 (FIFA Ranking: 17)
The outlook: The United States may have left many of their stars behind this summer, but not Mexico. El Tri head into the tournament looking for their 10th Gold Cup title. With West Ham midfielder Edson Álvarez taking on the mantle of captain for this generation of the squad, their frontline is led by AC Milan superstar Santiago Giménez, who may be the best player in North America.
The reigning Gold Cup and Nations League champions are the favorites to win it once again, and would love nothing more than to head into a World Cup on home soil in winning form.
Key players: Edson Álvarez (midfielder, West Ham), Santiago Giménez (striker, AC Milan), Raúl Jiménez (striker, Fulham), Jesús Gallardo (defender, Toluca)
Predicted group finish: 1st
Odds to win: +180
Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (FIFA Ranking: 54)
The outlook: Costa Rica aren't at the height of their 2014 powers, but they're certainly a contender for this tournament. For the last several years, and now under head coach Miguel Herrera, they're trying to usher in a new era of younger players to varying levels of success. 38-year-old Keylor Navas is still in the squad, but there's a new generation pushing into key roles. 20-year-olds Josimar Alcócer and Warren Madrigal are exciting young attackers leading the frontline, while Jeyland Mitchell is an eye-catching defender.
