Gold Cup champions: All-time winners for every tournament as USA, Mexico dominate CONCACAF

Most regions of the world hold a continental soccer tournament every few years to determine the top nation, and North America is no different.

The Confederation of North, Central American & Caribbean Association Football —  known as CONCACAF for short — anoints its continental champion via a tournament called the Gold Cup, which dates back to 1963 when it was known as the CONCACAF Championship, before taking on its current look beginning in 1991. 

All 41 member nations have a shot at qualifying for every Gold Cup tournament, with each nation's path dependent on its ranking and performance in a different competition known as the Nations League.

Dominated by Mexico and the United States, especially in the modern format, the Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious trophies — if not the most — that the CONCACAF region has to offer.

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All-time CONCACAF Gold Cup winners

Only once has a team not named Mexico or the United States won the Gold Cup in its modern era (since 1991), when Canada triumphed in 2000, a year where neither of the two powers made it out of the quarterfinals.

Mexico has won the most Gold Cup titles with eight trophies, while the United States has won seven. Those two nations have faced off seven times in the final.

Despite guest nations from other regions being invited to participate in the Gold Cup over the years, no team outside the CONCACAF region has ever won the event. Brazil has made the final twice but lost both times, while Colombia also reached the final in 2000 but lost to Canada.

MORE: How the USA upset Mexico to win the 2021 Gold Cup

Gold Cup titles by nation (since 1991)

• Mexico: 8
• USA: 7
• Canada: 1

List of Gold Cup finals

* Winner determined via penalty shootout
** Golden goal in effect in extra-time

CONCACAF Championship winners

Prior to being reformatted as the Gold Cup in 1991, the tournament was known as the CONCACAF Championship and was held 10 times between 1963 and 1989.

The competition was contested every two years to start, transitioning to a four-year cycle in 1973. When it was rebranded as the Gold Cup starting in 1991, it reverted to being held every two years.

During this early period of the competition, it was far more open and hotly contested, with six different winners through the first 10 editions of the tournament. The United States was not one of those nations, only winning their first continental title in 1991.

List of CONCACAF Championship winners

The CONCACAF Championship was not decided by a final. Instead, the country that topped a final group consisting of multiple nations was crowned champion following a round-robin competition.