CONCACAF Nations League – Format, Structure & Key Facts
The CONCACAF Nations League is an international football tournament featuring the national teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Created to replace friendly games with group play, this tournament has a tiered setup that includes promotion and relegation. It also acts as a pathway for qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Key facts
Organiser
CONCACAF
First Edition
2019–20
Frequency
Biennial / Annual competition cycles
Participating Teams
41 CONCACAF member associations
League Division Structure
Three tiers: League A (Top division), League B, League C
Finals Format
Four-team play-off (Semifinals, 3rd place match, Final)
Primary Qualification Link
CONCACAF Gold Cup & CONMEBOL Copa América
History and format
The CONCACAF Nations League was created to replace friendlies with competitive matches, giving national teams across North America, Central America and the Caribbean regular games against opponents of a similar level. Since its first edition in 2019–20, it has become one of the most important competitions in regional international football, combining a tiered league system with promotion, relegation and a route to the Gold Cup.
How the competition began
The concept of turning international friendlies into a points-based league was officially introduced at the XXXII Ordinary CONCACAF Congress in Oranjestad, Aruba, back in April 2017. By November 2017, it received approval, setting the stage for the first qualifying matches and the tournament kick-off in 2019.
This move guarantees that national teams take part in significant international matches during specific FIFA calendar windows. Typically, group matches happen from September to November, while the championship round for the best teams occurs the next March.
The 2022–23 season was a unique case: games were shifted from June 2022 to March 2023 to fit in with the winter schedule of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
League structure and movement
Member associations are divided into three levels—Leagues A, B, and C—and each level is further broken down into round-robin groups. The best teams in League A claim their spots in a four-team knockout tournament that determines the continental champion.
Moving between levels happens through automatic promotion and relegation:
- Promotions: Group winners from Leagues B and C get bumped up to the next division right away.
- Relegation: Teams finishing at the bottom of Leagues A and B drop down to lower divisions for the next season.
Besides chasing continental trophies, this setup also controls entry into the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The leading team from all 41 nations in the competition takes home the championship trophy, which is an 8 kg silver-plated brass piece that stands 52 cm tall.
Changes to League A
Beginning with the 2023–24 season, League A expanded from 12 to 16 teams, and it also brought in two-legged quarter-final matches. Following this setup, twelve countries faced off in a group stage divided into two groups of six, employing a Swiss-system style (with each team playing four matches).
The four best-ranked teams from CONCACAF got automatic spots in the quarter-finals, where they squared off against the top two teams from each group.
Standings and medal table in 2024-2025 season
The CONCACAF Nations League for 2024–25 kicked off with group matches in late 2024, and then moved on to the two-legged quarter-finals in November to figure out which four teams would make it to the final rounds.
The tournament wrapped up with the Nations League Finals, taking place from March 20 to 23, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
All the last matches were knockouts, meaning a team had to win each round, and they used extra time and penalties to break ties.
| Place | Team | Final Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | Champions (Beat Panama in the final) |
| 2 | Panama | Runners-up (Defeated USA in semi-finals; lost to Mexico in final) |
| 3 | Canada | 3rd Place (Defeated USA in third-place match) |
| 4 | United States | 4th Place (Eliminated in semi-finals) |
Winners by year
The CONCACAF Nations League inaugural season kicked off with its league phase in 2019, culminating in the delayed first-ever finals tournament held in June 2021.
| Finals Year | Season | Champion | Final Match Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2019–20 | United States | Defeated Mexico 3–2 (a.e.t.) |
| 2023 | 2022–23 | United States | Defeated Canada 2–0 |
| 2024 | 2023–24 | United States | Defeated Mexico 2–0 |
| 2025 | 2024–25 | Mexico | Defeated Panama 2–1 |
The Caribbean angle
The CONCACAF Nations League offers Caribbean national teams a structure that includes promotion, relegation, and a clear route to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
A significant event for the region took place in the 2023–24 season, when Trinidad and Tobago moved up to League A, stepping in for Nicaragua following a disqualification due to an ineligible player. In the quarter-finals, Trinidad and Tobago took on the United States: after suffering a 3–0 defeat in Austin, they pulled off a 2–1 win in the home leg at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, yet the US moved forward with a 4–2 aggregate score.
Jamaica also had an incredible journey, making it to the 2024 Nations League Finals. In a semi-final at AT&T Stadium, Jamaica took the United States to extra time but ultimately lost 3–1 after Haji Wright scored two late goals.
Financial Impact and Commercial Growth
The Nations League completely changed how national federations in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean earn money:
- More TV and Streaming Money: Instead of relying on low-interest friendly matches, CONCACAF bundled all official tournament games into one package. This helped them sign larger TV and streaming contracts with major broadcasters.
- Direct Cash for Smaller Nations: CONCACAF shares a large portion of its tournament earnings directly with all 41 member associations. For smaller Caribbean and Central American federations, this money covers travel costs, team accommodation, and local training camps.
- Ticket Sales and Local Sponsors: Guaranteed home matches in Leagues B and C mean local teams play competitive, meaningful games. This drives higher stadium attendance and helps national associations sign lucrative local sponsorship deals.
Latest CONCACAF News
CONCACAF officially confirmed the schedule and host venues for the November match window.
The preliminary group stage for League A concluded, with Curaçao, Guatemala, Haiti, and Jamaica qualifying for the quarter-finals.
CONCACAF published the League A schedule for the 2026–27 season of the CONCACAF Nations League.
The group draw for Leagues A, B and C took place in Miami.
FAQ
It is a football competition involving the men’s national teams, organised by CONCACAF. Teams compete in Leagues A, B and C, with League A group winners advancing to the title finals.
Group winners in Leagues B and C can move into a higher league. Under the general format, the four lowest teams in Leagues A and B are relegated.
Yes. Nations League results help determine Gold Cup qualification, including direct places and preliminary-round berths, as in the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League final.
The finals are generally held in March or June after the league phase, though they may be rescheduled until June 2021. The league phase usually runs from September to November, with the 2022–23 season following a different schedule.