The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) was founded in 1961 and serves as the organizing body for 40 national associations, including the United States, and spans from Canada in the north to Suriname in the south. CONCACAF organizes international competition in a number of events, including the CONCACAF Champions League, qualifying tournaments for all FIFA competitions and the Gold Cup.
As an indication of CONCACAF's growing stature in the world of soccer, the confederation's strong showing in the 2002 World Cup led to an increase to 3.5 berths (up from three) in the 2006 World Cup. CONCACAF also received 3.5 berths to the 2010 World Cup. The half spot will play off against the fifth place finisher from another confederation for a spot to the world’s biggest sporting event. In the 2010 World Cup, the U.S. won its group and advanced to the Round of 16, Mexico also advanced to the knockout stages and Honduras did not advance out of its group.
CONCACAF increased its presence on the world football stage at the beginning of the new millennium. In 2000, Guatemala hosted the FIFA World Futsal Championships and in doing so became the first Central American country to host a FIFA World Championship. And in 2001, Trinidad & Tobago hosted the spectacular Under-17 World Championship, becoming the first Caribbean country to host a World Championship. A year later, the first-ever FIFA Women's Under-19 World Championship was staged in Canada in 2002 and won by the United States. Since then, Canada staged the Under-20 World Cup in 2007, Trinidad & Tobago held the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2010 and Mexico hosted and won the 2011 Under-17 World Cup.
In a short time, Canada will host the 2014 Under-20 Women’s World Cup and Costa Rica is scheduled to stage the 2014 Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
As the Confederation's premier event, the Gold Cup is traditionally played every two years by the national teams within CONCACAF. The competition rotated to an odd-year format in 2003. Mexico has won the Gold Cup a record six times, lifting the trophy in 1993, ’96, ’98, ’03, ’09 and 2011. The U.S. has won four Gold Cups, the inaugural 1991 event, 2002 and back-to-back in 2005 and ‘07. The 2000 Gold Cup was perhaps the most surprising, with Canada taking home their first major international title as the U.S. and Mexico failed to qualify for the semifinals.
The Women's Gold Cup has also been very successful, with the U.S. winning the first event four times, most recently in 2006. Canada has won twice (1998, 2010).
CONCACAF competed in the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in 2000, when Mexico's Necaxa impressed with a third place finish in the 2000 tournament in Brazil. Since then, Mexican club teams have finished in fourth place three times, while in 2005 Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica placed third. In early 2001, the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS claimed the 2000 CONCACAF Champions League title, but were unable to represent the region at the 2001 FIFA Club World Cup that summer when the tournament was canceled by FIFA. The Confederation tournament, which is competed amongst qualified teams from the 38 nations' domestic leagues, was won in 1998 by D.C. United and in 2000 by the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy are the last U.S. based club team to win the tournament. Real Salt Lake earned a berth to the championship match in the 2010-11 tournament, but lost 3-2 on aggregate to Mexico’s Monterrey.
In 1994, CONCACAF joined Europe and South America as the only confederations to host three or more World Cup finals. Mexico welcomed the world twice, in 1970 and 1986, while the United States staged the event for the first time in 1994.
CONCACAF's headquarters are located in New York City.
President
Jeffrey Webb
General Secretary
Ted Howard (Acting)
Media Officer
Steve Torres
Headquarters
CONCACAF
725 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10022
USA
Phone: 212/308-0044
Fax: 212/308-1851
The Office of the President
CONCACAF
Edward & Oxford St.
Port of Spain, Trinidad
Phone: 868 / 625-9611
Fax: 868 / 625-9609
