2025 CONCACAF Central American Cup

2025 CONCACAF Central American Cup
Tournament details
Dates29 July – 4 December
Teams20 (from 7 associations)
2024
2026 →

The 2025 CONCACAF Central American Cup will be the third edition of the CONCACAF Central American Cup, the first-tier annual international club football competition in the Central American region, contested by clubs whose football associations are affiliated with the Central American Football Union (UNCAF), a sub-confederation of CONCACAF.

The winners of the 2025 CONCACAF Central American Cup will qualify directly for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16, while the second through sixth place teams will qualify to Round One of the same competition.[1]

Teams

Twenty teams from the seven UNCAF member associations qualified for the tournament based on results from their domestic leagues.[2][3] Eighteen slots were predetermined by CONCACAF while the remaining two slots were again granted to Costa Rica and Nicaragua as the national associations whose clubs were finalists in the previous edition of the tournament.[4][5] The slot allocation for this edition was as follows:

  • Costa Rica: 3+1 berths
  • El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama: 3 berths
  • Nicaragua: 2+1 berths
  • Belize: 1 berth
Association Team Qualifying method
 Belize (1 berth) Verdes 2024–25 Premier League tournament champions (2025 Closing) with better record in aggregate table.[6]
 Costa Rica
(4 berths)
Herediano 2024–25 Liga FPD Apertura and Clausura champions[7]
Alajuelense 2024–25 Liga FPD aggregate table best team not yet qualified[7]
Saprissa 2024–25 Liga FPD aggregate table second-best team not yet qualified[7]
Cartaginés 2024–25 Liga FPD aggregate table third-best team not yet qualified[7]
 El Salvador
(3 berths)
Hércules [note 1] 2024–25 Primera División Apertura champions[8]
Alianza 2024–25 Primera División Clausura champions[8]
Águila 2024–25 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualified[8]
 Guatemala
(3 berths)
Xelajú 2024–25 Liga Nacional Torneo Apertura champions[9]
Antigua 2024–25 Liga Nacional Torneo Clausura champions[9]
Municipal 2024–25 Liga Nacional aggregate table best team not yet qualified[9]
 Honduras
(3 berths)
Motagua 2024–25 Honduran Liga Nacional Apertura champions[10][4]
Olimpia 2024–25 Honduran Liga Nacional Clausura champions[10][4]
Real España 2024–25 Honduran Liga Nacional aggregate table best team not yet qualified[10][4]
 Nicaragua
(3 berths)
Diriangén 2024–25 Liga Primera Apertura champions[11][12]
Managua 2024–25 Liga Primera Clausura champions[11][12]
Real Estelí 2024–25 Liga Primera aggregate table best team not yet qualified[11][12]
 Panama
(3 berths)
Independiente 2024 Liga Panameña Torneo Clausura champions[13][14]
Plaza Amador 2025 Liga Panameña Torneo Apertura champions[13][14]
Sporting San Miguelito 2024 Liga Panameña Torneo Clausura and 2025 Liga Panameña Torneo Apertura aggregate table best team not yet qualified[13][14]

Draw

The draw for the group stage was held on 8 June 2023, 18:30 EDT (UTC−4), in Miami, Florida, United States. The 20 involved teams were previously seeded into five pots of four teams each based on their CONCACAF Club Ranking as of 2 June 2025.[3][15]

Pot 1
Team Rank
Herediano 40
Alajuelense 46
Olimpia 48
Saprissa 52
Pot 2
Team Rank
Antigua 54
Motagua 55
Municipal 56
Xelajú 60
Pot 3
Team Rank
Plaza Amador 61
Cartaginés 62
Real España 63
Real Estelí 66
Pot 4
Team Rank
Independiente 68
Sporting San Miguelito 74
Águila 83
Alianza 88
Pot 5
Team Rank
Diriangén 96
Managua 121
Hércules 137
Verdes 186

For the group stage, the 20 teams were drawn into four groups (Groups A–D) of five containing a team from each of the five pots. Teams from pot 1 were drawn first and were placed in the first position of their group, starting from Group A to Group D. The same procedure was followed for teams from pots 2, 3, 4 and 5, and they were placed in positions 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, within the group to which they were drawn. Each group must contain no more than two clubs from the same national association.[3]

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[1]

Stage Round First leg Second leg
Group Stage Matchday 1 29–31 July
Matchday 2 5–7 August
Matchday 3 12–14 August
Matchday 4 19–21 August
Matchday 5 26–28 August
Knockout Quarterfinals 23–25 September 30 September – 2 October
Semifinals and play-in 21–23 October 28–30 October
Finals 25–27 November 2–4 December

Group stage

In the group stage, each group is played on a single home-and-away round-robin basis, with teams playing against each other once, for a total of four matches per team (two home and two away). The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the quarter-finals of the knockout stage.

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ALA ANT PLA ALI MAN
1 Alajuelense 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals 27 Aug 31 Jul
2 Antigua 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 Aug 5 Aug
3 Plaza Amador 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 Aug 19 Aug
4 Alianza 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Aug 13 Aug
5 Managua 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Aug 29 Jul
First match(es) will be played: 29 July 2025. Source: CONCACAF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results (points, goal difference, goals scored); 5) Fair play points; 6) Drawing of lots.

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification HER MUN RES SSM DIR
1 Herediano 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals 28 Aug 30 Jul
2 Municipal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 Aug 7 Aug
3 Real España 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 Aug 20 Aug
4 Sporting San Miguelito 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Aug 13 Aug
5 Diriangén 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Aug 31 Jul
First match(es) will be played: 30 July 2025. Source: CONCACAF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results (points, goal difference, goals scored); 5) Fair play points; 6) Drawing of lots.

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SAP MOT CAR CAI VER
1 Saprissa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals 26 Aug 29 Jul
2 Motagua 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 Aug 5 Aug
3 Cartaginés 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 Aug 20 Aug
4 Independiente 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 Aug 14 Aug
5 Verdes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Aug 29 Jul
First match(es) will be played: 29 July 2025. Source: CONCACAF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results (points, goal difference, goals scored); 5) Fair play points; 6) Drawing of lots.

Group D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification OLI XEL EST ÁGU HER
1 Olimpia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Quarter-finals 27 Aug 30 Jul
2 Xelajú 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 Aug 6 Aug
3 Real Estelí 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 Aug 21 Aug
4 Águila 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 Aug 12 Aug
5 Hércules 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Aug 30 Jul
First match(es) will be played: 30 July 2025. Source: CONCACAF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results (points, goal difference, goals scored); 5) Fair play points; 6) Drawing of lots.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Concacaf confirms key details for 2025 Concacaf Central American Cup". Miami, FL: CONCACAF. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  2. ^ "CONCACAF Central American Cup 2025 Regulations" (PDF). CONCACAF. 21 April 2025 [Approved on 13 March 2025]. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Concacaf confirms 2025 Concacaf Central American Cup participating clubs and draw pots". Miami, FL: CONCACAF. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Palma, Antoni (5 January 2025). "Se confirma cuántos cupos tendrá Honduras para la Copa Centroamericana 2025" [It is confirmed how many slots Honduras will have for the 2025 Central American Cup] (in Spanish). Canal Deportes TVC.
  5. ^ Torres, Francisco (27 November 2024). "¿Peligra El Salvador? ¿Qué pasaría con sus cupos si el Estelí gana la Copa Centroamericana?" [What would happen to El Salvador's quota if Esteli wins the Central American Cup?] (in Spanish). El Gráfico.
  6. ^ Morales Iglesias, Rubén (30 April 2025). "Premier League of Belize: 2024-2025 Closing Champions Verdes secure Concacaf Central American Cup spot". Breaking Belize News.
  7. ^ a b c d "Normas de Competición Liga Promerica Temporada 2024 – 2025" (PDF) (in Spanish). UNAFUT. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  8. ^ a b c Recinos, Raúl (24 December 2024). "¿Quiénes acompañarán al 11 Deportivo a la Copa Centroamericana 2025?" [Who will accompany the 11 Deportivo to the 2025 Central American Cup?] (in Spanish). Diario El Salvador.
  9. ^ a b c Ordóñez, Oscar (24 December 2024). "Copa Centroamericana: ¿Cómo está la clasificación de los clubes guatemaltecos a la edición del 2025?" [Central American Cup: How are Guatemalan clubs qualifying for the 2025 edition?] (in Spanish). Prensa Libre.
  10. ^ a b c "BASES DEL TORNEO DE APERTURA Y CLAUSURA TEMPORADA 2024-2025 DE LA LIGA NACIONAL DE FUTBOL PROFESIONAL DE PRIMERA DIVISIÓN DE HONDURAS" (PDF) (in Spanish). Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "Los tres equipos que representarán a Nicaragua en la Copa Centroamericana 2025" [The three teams that will represent Nicaragua in the 2025 Central American Cup] (in Spanish). La Prensa. 18 April 2025.
  12. ^ a b c Rayo, Fernando (11 May 2025). "Listos los tres clubes Nicaragua para Copa Centroamericana 2025" [Three Nicaraguan clubs ready for 2025 Central American Cup] (in Spanish). TN8.
  13. ^ a b c "REGLAMENTO DE COMPETENCIAS TEMPORADA 2024" (PDF). lpf.com.pa (in Spanish). Liga Panameña de Fútbol. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "REGLAMENTO DE COMPETENCIAS TEMPORADA 2025" (PDF). lpf.com.pa (in Spanish). Liga Panameña de Fútbol. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Concacaf Club Ranking as of June 2, 2025". CONCACAF. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.

Notes

  1. ^ Originally, Once Deportivo was going to participate. However, the team disbanded due to purchase of the category and change of venue.