The 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup already has a draw date. Concacaf confirmed that the event will take place on Tuesday, May 26 in Miami, Florida, starting at 6:00 PMwhere the groups and matches of the fourth edition of the regional tournament that serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup will be defined.
The draw will be carried out through a five-pot system where the 20 clubs will be distributed according to their Concacaf club ranking on May 25, with the restriction that no group will have more than two clubs from the same League.
For Guatemala, the confirmed qualifiers are Antigua GFC as champion of Apertura 2025 and Municipal as runner-up. The classification criteria establishes that the champion and runner-up of each National League tournament obtain a direct ticket to the regional competition, so the finalists of Apertura 2026 will also ensure their participation. In the event that any of the Apertura 2026 finalists are already classified for Apertura 2025, the next best positioned in the accumulated table would obtain the available ticket, thus guaranteeing Guatemalan representation in the tournament.
Among the participants already confirmed at the regional level, the three-time champion Liga Deportiva Alajuelense of Costa Rica stands out, which aspires to retain the title along with its compatriots Deportivo Saprissa and Herediano. Honduras will be represented by Club Olimpia and Motagua, El Salvador by Luis Ángel Firpo and CD FAS, Panama by Alianza FC, Nicaragua by Cacique Diriangén and Belize by Verdes FC, completing a tournament that will bring together the best clubs in the Central American region in what promises to be the most competitive edition of the Central American Cup.
Teams ranked by country
- Costa Rica: LD Alajuelense, Deportivo Saprissa, Herediano and a quota to be defined
- Honduras: Club Olimpia, FC Motagua and 2 others to be defined
- Guatemala: Antigua GFC, Municipal and 2 others to be defined
- El Salvador: Luis Ángel Firpo, CD FAS and another to be defined
- Panama: Alianza FC and others to be defined
- Nicaragua: Cacique Diriangén and another to be defined
- Belize: Verdes FC
Cup schedule
Group stage:
- Week 1: July 28-30
- Week 2: August 4-6
- Week 3: August 11-13
- Week 4: August 18-20
- Week 5: August 25-27
The tournament champion will obtain a direct pass to the round of 16 of the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, while the semifinalists and the two play-in winners will also qualify for the top Concacaf club tournament. Guatemalan fans will be able to follow the May 26 draw live through Concacaf’s television partners and the confederation’s YouTube channel starting at 6:00 PM.