A revamped and expanded group stage is the biggest change to the Gold Cup as Concacaf announced a new format for its men's continental championship on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Previously played with four groups of four, the 2027 edition of the competition will have two groups of eight with teams sorted into "ranking bands." Teams will play four group matches instead of the previous three, with the top four teams in each group moving into the quarterfinals.
The bands will separate teams into levels based on their Concacaf ranking. Teams will meet an opponent from each band, meaning the strongest team in a group will play a team from Band 2, Band 3 and Band 4.
The knockout stage will again feature three single-legged rounds, with the quarterfinal matchups
determined by performance in the group stage.
“We are really excited about what this new format will bring to the tournament’s group stage,” Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said in a news release. “Our fans want to see the best teams in our region compete against each other, and this format will create more opportunities for those matchups to happen earlier in the competition.
"At the same time, every match will matter, with teams facing a balanced mix of opponents and competing for a place in the knockout rounds. We believe this will make for a more competitive and exciting Gold Cup from the very first match through to the final.”
That final will take place July 11, 2027 with the tournament set to kick off June 17, the confederation confirmed Thursday. The site for the tournament, which has been contested in the United States every time since its advent in 1991, will be announced at a later date. The draw for the tournament is scheduled for April 8, 2027.
Mexico is the reigning champion of the Gold Cup, having won the 2025 edition with a 1-0 victory in the final over the United States. The 16-team field will be made up of 15 Concacaf nations and invited guest Saudi Arabia, currently the only team qualified for the 2027 tournament.
Winners of this month's Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals will secure their places in the Gold Cup while losers and other hopefuls will need to win Gold Cup Prelims series in March.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Gold Cup format features two groups of eight teams
