2023 Gold Cup Preview: 15 CONCACAF teams
USA Go For Another Title
CONCACAF’s Best Take the Field
The group stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off in just a few weeks and it’s never too early to preview the action. Defending champions USA are going for another title and find themselves in a favorable group. Meanwhile, Canada and Mexico pose credible threats to their title defense. Along with 15 CONCACAF teams, Qatar will be joining the field as an invited team. We’ll look closer at the four groups in our 2023 Gold Cup Preview. Bettors should note that the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals following a round-robin.
| Group A | Country |
|---|---|
| USA |  |
| Jamaica |  |
| Nicaragua |  |
| TBD | TBD |
USA interim coach B.J. Callaghan will be thrown into the fire for his first match. The USA take on Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal on June 15th.
Then, the USMNT will start their Gold Cup title defense vs. Jamaica at Soldier Field in Chicago on June 24th. Both teams in that match are favorites to advance to the quarterfinals and it could very well be the group decided.
The USA defeated Jamaica 1-0 in the 2021 quarterfinals and are unbeaten in the last five meetings of this fixture.
Meanwhile, 2023 Gold Cup previews note that Nicaragua have never won any of their 18 previous matches at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. They’ve put together an 0-1-17 record all-time.
The fourth team in Group A is yet to be determined. It will be one of Trinidad and Tobago, Guadeloupe, Guyana and Grenada. The USA also have an advantage here as 14 of the 15 hosting venues are located in the States.
| Group B | Country |
|---|---|
| Haiti |  |
| Honduras |  |
| Mexico |  |
| Qatar |  |
Group B could shake out to be competitive as all of Honduras, Mexico and Qatar made the 2021 quarterfinals.
All three CONCACAF members in this group are ranked in the top ten of the confederation. Meanwhile, Qatar are back for another guest appearance.
However, they were one of only two teams to lose all three World Cup games in 2022. Haiti are also not to be underestimated, as they have some talented players on their roster.
Mexico have gone through a rough patch over the last couple of years, but the hope is that they’ll be back to full strength by the time the World Cup 2026 rolls around.
This is the first major tournament for El Tri under Diego Cocca, and they’re expected to finish in first place in the group.
| Group C | Country |
|---|---|
| Costa Rica |  |
| El Salvador |  |
| Panama |  |
| TBD | TBD |
Gold Cup Group C is the most wide open. Costa Rica are the highest-ranked side in the group, but Panama recently qualified for the Nations League semifinals over the Ticos.
Panama won both of their matches over Costa Rica in the Nations League group stage. El Salvador have also been quite competitive recently and managed a draw vs. the USA last year.
The fourth and final team in the group will be determined on June 20th. Martinique and Saint Lucia will meet in a playoff for the right to take on the winner of Suriname and Puerto Rico.
No matter who advances, it will be an uphill battle for them to advance out of the group. Our 2023 Gold Cup Preview notes that all of Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador are ranked in the top ten teams in CONCACAF.
| Group D | Country |
|---|---|
| Canada |  |
| Cuba |  |
| Guatemala |  |
| TBD | TBD |
There were high hopes for Canada at Qatar 2022 but Les Rogues lost all three matches. Still, there were some signs that Canada could be a force to be reckoned with going forward.
They finished first in the 2022 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying as Cyle Larin was the competition’s leading scorer. With players like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, Canada have some top-level talents playing in Europe.
Canada should have no problems advancing out of this group. Guatemala and Cuba aren’t on the same level but should duke it out for second place.
One of Curacao, Saint Kitts and Nevis, French Guiana and Sint Maarten will join Group D. If a relatively strong Curacao side advance, they could make this group interesting.
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