CONCACAF is restructuring its marquee tournament into two groups of eight teams, moving away from the long-standing four-group setup.
CONCACAF announced Thursday that the Gold Cup will switch to a two-group format starting with its next edition in 2027, ending the sixteen-team, four-group structure that had been in place through last year's tournament.
Under the old setup, sixteen national teams were split into four groups of four, with the top two finishers in each group moving on to the quarterfinals. The new structure instead divides the field into two groups of eight teams, including the United States and Mexico, though CONCACAF did not detail how advancement out of those larger groups will work.
The change marks a notable shift in how the region's top soccer nations will open their path toward the knockout rounds. For fans used to the familiar four-group format, the move to two larger pools means more games within each group before the field narrows.
CONCACAF's announcement did not include further specifics on seeding or qualification changes tied to the new format.