Costa Rica's National Team Prepares for Gold Cup 2025 Qualifiers
Concacaf announces crucial draw date and qualifying details for the upcoming tournament.
The Costa Rican national football team faces a critical challenge in the coming days as they seek to secure a place in the 2025 Gold Cup, scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 6 at fourteen venues across eleven metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada.
Under the direction of coach Miguel "Piojo" Herrera, the team’s immediate objective is to overcome Belize in a two-legged playoff match, with the first leg occurring on March 21 at 8 p.m. local time at the FBB Stadium in Belmopan, followed by the return leg on March 25 at 7 p.m. at the Estadio Nacional in San José.
As Costa Rica prepares for this critical playoff, Concacaf has announced that the draw for the Gold Cup will take place on April 10 at 5 p.m. Costa Rica time.
The tournament will feature 16 teams, including 15 from Concacaf and the invited team, Saudi Arabia.
The final will be held on July 6 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, marking the first time that the Gold Cup final will occur in Texas.
The Gold Cup 2025 aims to provide a competitive platform for the best teams in the region, coinciding with the buildup to the FIFA World Cup 2026. It presents a significant opportunity for fan engagement and development of the sport across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Regarding qualifications for the Gold Cup, eight national teams have already secured their places through the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League, while an additional seven teams will advance following the preliminary rounds of the tournament.
The teams from Concacaf that have qualified thus far include Canada, Curaçao, El Salvador, the United States, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
The preliminary rounds will see 14 teams competing in seven matchups, which includes Costa Rica.
The winners from each playoff duel will proceed to the group stage of the Gold Cup.
The Gold Cup draw process will utilize a system involving eight pots.
Pots 1 through 4 will contain the names of the participating national teams, while pots 5 through 8 will hold positions for groups A, B, C, and D. According to the Concacaf Men's National Team Rankings, released after the preliminary rounds conclude on March 26, the participating teams will be divided based on their FIFA rankings to determine the draw allocations.
The defending champion, alongside the three highest-ranked teams, will occupy pot 1, while the lowest-ranked teams will fall into pot 4, which also includes Saudi Arabia.
The competition format will commence with a group stage comprising 16 teams divided into four groups of four.
Following round-robin play between June 14 and June 24, the top four group winners and the four second-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage, beginning with the quarterfinals on June 28 and 29, followed by the semifinals on July 2, leading to the final.
The upcoming draw on April 10 is set to determine the path for each team in the quest for the prestigious title in the Concacaf region.
Under the direction of coach Miguel "Piojo" Herrera, the team’s immediate objective is to overcome Belize in a two-legged playoff match, with the first leg occurring on March 21 at 8 p.m. local time at the FBB Stadium in Belmopan, followed by the return leg on March 25 at 7 p.m. at the Estadio Nacional in San José.
As Costa Rica prepares for this critical playoff, Concacaf has announced that the draw for the Gold Cup will take place on April 10 at 5 p.m. Costa Rica time.
The tournament will feature 16 teams, including 15 from Concacaf and the invited team, Saudi Arabia.
The final will be held on July 6 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, marking the first time that the Gold Cup final will occur in Texas.
The Gold Cup 2025 aims to provide a competitive platform for the best teams in the region, coinciding with the buildup to the FIFA World Cup 2026. It presents a significant opportunity for fan engagement and development of the sport across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Regarding qualifications for the Gold Cup, eight national teams have already secured their places through the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League, while an additional seven teams will advance following the preliminary rounds of the tournament.
The teams from Concacaf that have qualified thus far include Canada, Curaçao, El Salvador, the United States, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
The preliminary rounds will see 14 teams competing in seven matchups, which includes Costa Rica.
The winners from each playoff duel will proceed to the group stage of the Gold Cup.
The Gold Cup draw process will utilize a system involving eight pots.
Pots 1 through 4 will contain the names of the participating national teams, while pots 5 through 8 will hold positions for groups A, B, C, and D. According to the Concacaf Men's National Team Rankings, released after the preliminary rounds conclude on March 26, the participating teams will be divided based on their FIFA rankings to determine the draw allocations.
The defending champion, alongside the three highest-ranked teams, will occupy pot 1, while the lowest-ranked teams will fall into pot 4, which also includes Saudi Arabia.
The competition format will commence with a group stage comprising 16 teams divided into four groups of four.
Following round-robin play between June 14 and June 24, the top four group winners and the four second-placed teams will advance to the knockout stage, beginning with the quarterfinals on June 28 and 29, followed by the semifinals on July 2, leading to the final.
The upcoming draw on April 10 is set to determine the path for each team in the quest for the prestigious title in the Concacaf region.
