USMNT schedule for Concacaf Gold Cup may get spicy, Mexico, Canada possibilities
The United States men's national team's Concacaf Gold Cup schedule was filled with potential intrigue after the tournament structure and dates were finalized on Friday.
Mauricio Pochettino's squad, still smarting from its disastrous fourth-place finish in last month's Nations League, may have little room for error if it wishes to avoid a quarterfinal meeting with arch rival Mexico. A possible semifinal clash with Canada is another possibility if both teams advance to that stage in keeping with their seeding.
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The USMNT's campaign kicks off against Trinidad and Tobago at PayPal Park in San Jose on June 15. After its opening match, the team then heads south to Q2 Stadium in Austin to face Saudi Arabia four days later. The USMNT will close out the group stage against Haiti at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 22.
Having allocated the 16 teams into their respective groups on Thursday, Concacaf's Friday announcement released the full 31-match schedule for the three-week tournament, with fans now able to trace the various possible scenarios through the knockout round.
The Gold Cup will serve as a crucial test for the U.S. as their final competitive tournament ahead of next year's World Cup. Fellow World Cup hosts Canada and Mexico also have plenty to prove, with Mexico vying for a repeat Gold Cup title and Canada still fresh off its recent 2-1 win against the U.S. in the Nations League third-place match.
A matchup with Mexico would transpire if the U.S. finishes second in its Gold Cup group, and El Tri emerges as the top team in Group A. It would also take place if the Americans tops its first round table, but Mexico slips to second in a group that also features Costa Rica, Suriname and the Dominican Republic.
Canada, meanwhile, will be tested against Honduras, El Salvador and Curacao. The likeliest scenario for a rematch of the Nations League third-place battle with the U.S. would be for both teams to win their group and survive a quarterfinal, before going head-to-head in the semis.
The Canadians open the Gold Cup with Honduras at BC Place in Vancouver in the lone match staged on Canadian soil. Jesse Marsch's group then travels to Houston where it will face Curacao on June 21 and then El Salvador on June 24, both at Shell Energy Stadium.
After opening the tournament at L.A.'s SoFi Stadium on June 14 against the Dominican Republic, Mexico then heads to AT&T Stadium to face Suriname on June 18. Its group stage slate concludes against Costa Rica in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on June 22, in what mat be the most anticipated game of the group stage.
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As expected, most Gold Cup games will be staged in the western half of the U.S., with the July 6 final set for NRG Stadium in Houston.
The venues for each specific match in the knock-out round will be confirmed as each stage of the Gold Cup concludes.
The quarterfinals will be hosted at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on June 28, and then at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis the following day. The semifinals will be at Energizer Park in St. Louis and Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 2.
The Gold Cup will kick off on the same day as the FIFA Club World Cup, although the global club competition lasts one week longer.
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June 15
United States vs. Trinidad and Tobago – PayPal Park, San Jose, CA, 6 p.m.
June 19
Saudi Arabia vs. United States – Q2 Stadium, Austin, TX, 9.15 p.m.
June 22
United States vs. Haiti – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, 7 p.m.
June 14
Mexico vs. Dominican Republic – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA, 10.15 p.m.
June 18,
Suriname vs. Mexico – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, 10 p.m.
June 22
Mexico vs. Costa Rica – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV, 10 p.m.
June 17
Canada vs. Honduras – BC Place, Vancouver, 10.30 p.m.
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Curaçao vs. Canada – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX, 7 p.m.
June 24
Canada vs. El Salvador – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX, 10 p.m.
Quarterfinals (QF1: 1D vs. 2A; QF2: 1A vs. 2D; QF3: 1C vs. 2B; QF4: 1B vs. 2C)
June 28
TBC vs. TBC – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ, 7.15 p.m.
TBC vs. TBC – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ, 10.15 p.m.
June 29
TBC vs. TBC – U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN, 4 p.m.
TBC vs. TBC – U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN, 7 p.m.
Semifinals (WQF1 vs. WQF4 and WQF2 vs. WQF3)
July 2
TBC vs. TBC – Energizer Park, St. Louis, MO, 7 p.m.
TBC vs. TBC – Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA, 10 p.m.
Final
Sunday, July 6, 2025
TBC vs. TBC – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX, 7 p.m.
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