Concacaf Reveals Date and Procedures for 2026 Central American Cup Draw

Miami, FL – Concacaf has announced the procedures that will govern the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup draw. The draw for the fourth edition of this regional cup tournament, which serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, will determine the groups and the matchups that will shape each participating club’s path to the Final. 

The official draw for the 2026 Central American Cup will be conducted on Tuesday, May 26, in Miami, FL. Fans can follow the made-for-TV event on Concacaf’s Broadcast partner networks and the confederation’s YouTube Channel starting at 8 p.m. ET.   

The 2026 edition of the Concacaf Central American Cup – the fourth edition of this regional tournament – has already seen 13 Central American clubs secure their places. Notably, the field features the three-time champions LD Alajuelense from Costa Rica, who aim to retain the crown. Club Olimpia and FC Motagua from Honduras, LA Firpo and CD FAS from El Salvador, and Antigua y Municipal de Guatemala, new faces from Panamá Alianza FC, and the Belize representatives Verdes FC, among others, will also compete in 2026. 

COMPETITION FORMAT AND DATES

The tournament will begin with a Group Stage comprising four groups of five clubs each.  In this first round, clubs will play every club in their group once, for a total of four matches per club (two at home and two away) in the five scheduled weeks. 

Group Stage Week 1: July 28-30, 2026  
Group Stage Week 2: August 4-6, 2026  
Group Stage Week 3: August 11-13, 2026  
Group Stage Week 4: August 18-20, 2026  
Group Stage Week 5: August 25-27, 2026 

After the Group Stage, the top two finishers in each group will advance to the Knockout Stage. This stage will feature home-and-away matches, beginning with the Quarterfinals, followed by the Semifinals and Play-In, and concluding with the Final, where Central America’s champion will be crowned. 

Quarterfinals: September 8-10 and September 15-17, 2026 
Semifinals and Play-In: October 20-22 and October 27-29, 2026 
Finals: December 2 and December 6, 2026 

Additionally, the semifinalists and the two play-in winners (a total of six clubs) will qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. The champion will also receive a bye to the Round of 16 in the Confederation’s premier 27-club competition. 

HOW TO FOLLOW THE DRAW

Fans worldwide will be able to follow and enjoy the live event on Concacaf’s YouTube channel and through the Confederation's TV partner networks in the region. 
 
Fans can also follow updates on the competition’s official social media platforms, including X (@TheChampions), Facebook (facebook.com/TheChampions), Instagram (@TheChampions), and TikTok (@Concachampions). 

DRAW PROCEDURES

On Tuesday, May 26, Concacaf will conduct the tournament’s Group Stage draw. The draw will be executed using a single-blind system involving five pots. 

The 20 participating clubs will be distributed into five pots according to their Concacaf Club Ranking as of May 25, 2026, as follows:  

Pot 1: Four highest-ranked clubs
Pot 2: Four next highest-ranked clubs  
Pot 3: Four next highest-ranked clubs  
Pot 4: Four next highest-ranked clubs  
Pot 5: Four lowest-ranked clubs  

The draw will begin by randomly selecting a sphere from Pot 1 and placing that club in Group A, position A1. This process will be replicated for all Pot 1 spheres, with clubs placed in sequential order in positions 1 of Groups B, C, and D. 

The same procedure will be followed for Pots 2, 3, 4, and 5, using group positions 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. At the end of the draw, each group will contain one club from each pot and no more than two clubs from the same Member Association. 

Concacaf will publish the confirmed Pots in the days leading up to the official draw.  

PARTICIPATING CLUBS

Thus far, 13 clubs from the Confederation’s seven Central American Member Associations have qualified for the tournament. These clubs have or will qualify based on their performance in their domestic leagues. These clubs are (in order by country): 

Belize (1): Verdes FC 
Costa Rica (3): LD Alajuelense, CS Herediano, Deportivo Saprissa 
El Salvador (2): LA Firpo, CD FAS 
Guatemala (2): Antigua GFC, CSD Municipal 
Honduras (2): Club Olimpia, FC Motagua 
Nicaragua (1): Diriangén FC 
Panamá (2): Alianza FC, Plaza Amador 

The seven remaining participating clubs (Costa Rica: 1, El Salvador: 1, Guatemala: 2, Honduras: 1, Nicaragua: 1, Panamá: 1) will be confirmed by May 24, 2026. 

LD Alajuelense is the current Concacaf Central American Cup champion. The Costa Rican club claimed the title for the third time by defeating Guatemala's Club Xelajú MC in last year’s final.