Preparations intensify for the 2021 Gold Cup, CONCACAF’s flagship tournament, which returns for its 16th staging beginning July 10. 

CONCACAF, announcing the full schedule of matches on Thursday (May 13), said that the bi-annual competition will include a new preliminary round held between July 2 and 6 to confirm the qualification of three additional teams to complete the 16 finalists. 

The group stage (A, B, C, and D) will run from July 10 and 20, and sees the Gold Cup adapting a revamped knockout stage leading up to the August 1 finals.

The 12 qualified nations, the AFC Asian Cup Champions Qatar (guest participant) and the three prelims winners were drawn in September 2020 into four groups.

The Gold Cup will be hosted exclusively in the United States, with games played in 11 stadia across eight cities—to culminate at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz, contesting Group C, kick-off their campaign against CARICOM neighbours Suriname at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando on July 12. The Reggae Boyz will need a top-two placement to exit the group but face a strong challenge from Costa Rica, Suriname and the winner of preliminary match eight—a toss-up among The Bahamas, Guadeloupe, Guatemala and Guyana.

Jamaica last made the Gold Cup finals in 2017, losing 2-1 to the United States. The Reggae Boyz advanced as far as the semi-finals in the 2019 edition, before their campaign was ended by the US after a 3-1 defeat.

See full schedule below: 

Preliminary Round

Friday, July 2 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round One)

M1: Haiti vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

M6: Bermuda vs Barbados

M3: Trinidad and Tobago vs Montserrat

Saturday, July 3 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round One)

M5: Guadeloupe vs Bahamas

M4: Cuba vs French Guiana

M2: Guatemala vs Guyana

Tuesday, July 6 – DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Prelims Round Two)

M9: Winner Prelims 3 vs Winner Prelims 4

M7: Winner Prelims 1 vs Winner Prelims 6

M8: Winner Prelims 2 vs Winner Prelims 5

*Winners of preliminary games determine remaining three spots in all four groups

Group Stages

Saturday, July 10 – Dallas Metropolitan Area (Group A)

El Salvador vs Curaçao (Toyota Stadium) 

Mexico vs Winner Prelims 9 (AT&T Stadium)

Sunday, July 11 – Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS (Group B)

Canada vs Martinique

USA vs Winner Prelims 7

Monday, July 12 – Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL (Group C)

Jamaica vs Suriname

Costa Rica vs Winner Prelims 8

Tuesday, July 13 – BBVA Stadium, Houston, TX (Group D)

Qatar vs Panama

Honduras vs Grenada

Wednesday, July 14 – Dallas Metropolitan Area (Group A)

Winner Prelims 9 vs El Salvador (Toyota Stadium)

Curaçao vs Mexico (Cotton Bowl)

Thursday, July 15 – Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS (Group B)

Winner Prelims 7 vs Canada

Martinique vs USA 

Friday, July 16 – Exploria Stadium, Orlando, FL (Group C)

Winner Prelims 8 vs Jamaica

Suriname vs Costa Rica

Saturday, July 17 – BBVA Stadium, Houston, TX (Group D)

Grenada vs Qatar

Panama vs Honduras

Sunday, July 18 – Groups A and B

Martinique vs Winner Prelims 7 (Toyota Stadium) 

USA vs Canada (Children’s Mercy Park)

Mexico vs El Salvador (Cotton Bowl)

Curaçao vs Winner Prelims 9 (Toyota Stadium)

Tuesday, July 20 – Groups C and D

Costa Rica vs Jamaica (Exploria Stadium)

Suriname vs Winner Prelims 8 (BBVA Stadium)

Panama vs Grenada (Exploria Stadium)

Honduras vs Qatar (BBVA Stadium)

Knockout Stages

Saturday, July 24 – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ (Quarterfinals)

Quarter-final one

Quarter-final two

Sunday, July 25 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington TX (Quarterfinals) 

Quarter-final three

Quater-final four

Thursday, July 29 – Q2 Stadium, Austin, TX and NRG Stadium, Houston, TX (Semifinals)*

Semi-final one

Semi-final two

Sunday, August 1 – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV (Final)

Finals