Last updated on June 26th, 2022
There are quite a few football competitions where teams from different countries will play against each other.
These games take place at both club and international levels.
If you’re from North America, you may have seen your club side compete in the CONCACAF Champions League, or your country may participate in the Gold Cup. However, which one is better and how are these competitions different?
Here’s what you need to know:
Contents
- 1 The difference between the CONCACAF Champions League and the Gold Cup
- 2 Number of teams involved
- 3 Frequency of the competition
- 4 Duration of the competition
- 5 Types of teams
- 6 Format of competition
- 7 Number of matches
- 8 Squad size
- 9 Qualification for the competition
- 10 Rewards for winning the competition
- 11 Verdict
- 12 Conclusion
The difference between the CONCACAF Champions League and the Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Champions League is a club competition that involves the best clubs from North America, while the Gold Cup is competed by the national teams in the CONCACAF region.
Here’s an in-depth comparison between these 2 competitions:
Number of teams involved
The CONCACAF Champions League has 16 teams in the actual tournament. The Gold Cup is also contested by 16 sides, each containing 4 groups of 4 teams.
This only includes the teams that were involved in the major tournaments. There will be quite a few teams that were involved in the qualifying rounds that did not make the cut.
Frequency of the competition
The CONCACAF Champions League is held every year, usually starting in mid-February. The 2021 edition, however, was delayed due to the pandemic with the competition starting in April.
Eventually, it was won by Mexican side CF Monterrey.
Meanwhile, the Gold Cup is biennial and is played during the odd-numbered years. The latest tournament was held in 2021 and was won by The United States.
Duration of the competition
The Gold Cup takes place over the course of a month in the summer, usually between June and July or July and August.
The CONCACAF Champions League, on the other hand, typically takes place across two months from February to April or early May.
The 2021 edition started in April due to the pandemic and concluded in October.
The old Champions League format had a group stage and subsequent knockout rounds before it was changed for the 2017/2018 season.
Types of teams
The CONCACAF Champions League is contested by the best clubs in North America. This involves the best performing teams in countries all across the continent.
Meanwhile, the Gold Cup consists of 16 different national sides.
This makes a difference because football clubs can choose the players they buy and sell. As such, it is easier to strengthen the personnel of a football team and build strong sides for every season.
However, this is a bit different for national teams. Players are obligated to represent their own country and while it is possible to switch national teams, the player would have to meet certain criteria before doing so.
Some countries may have a couple of well-known stars, while the rest of the team may not be of the same standard.
An example is Robert Lewandowski who is the main star of the Polish national team.
However, some countries like Brazil and England have really strong squads with top-level players throughout.
Format of competition
The CONCACAF Champions League employs a knockout format throughout the tournament, starting from the round of 16.
The competition switched from a group stage and knockout format to a pure knockout round in 2018.
Each of the 16 teams is drawn against each other in a two-legged home and away tie in every round, except for the final, which is decided by a single-legged match.
If a tie is equal after the second leg, the away goal rule is the first tiebreaker, then a penalty shootout. For the final, the game goes to extra time if there’s a tie in regulation time, then a penalty shootout.
Meanwhile, the Gold Cup uses a group stage and knockouts format. The 16 teams are split into 4 groups of 4 teams, and the top 2 teams in each group qualify for the knockouts.
In the event of two teams finishing on the same point, there are tiebreakers. You can check this article out to find out more.
The Gold Cup knockout rounds start from the quarter-finals with single-leg matches for the rest of the tournament.
Number of matches
Assuming your team makes it to the final of the CONCACAF Champions League, they will have played 7 matches:
| Round of 16 | 2 |
| Quarter-Finals | 2 |
| Semi-Finals | 2 |
| Final | 1 |
The Gold Cup, on the other hand, will see your team play 1 less match if they reach the final:
| Group Stage | 3 |
| Quarter-Finals | 1 |
| Semi-Finals | 1 |
| Final | 1 |
This is because all of the knockout rounds are single-legged.
Squad size
The CONCACAF Champions League allows clubs to submit a roster of 30 players eligible to play the competition at least 7 days before their first CCL game.
A final list of 23 players will then be submitted no less than 48 hours before every game.
Only 18 players are allowed in a matchday squad from the prior 23 names, consisting of 11 starting players and 7 substitutes.
The Gold Cup’s squad rules are a lot more simple. A 23-man squad is to be named before the tournament and all 23 players are eligible to play every game barring suspension or injury.
Qualification for the competition
16 teams from 3 different zones participate in the CONCACAF Champions League.
| Zone | Number of teams |
|---|---|
| North American Zone | 9 |
| Caribbean Zone | 1 |
| Central American Zone | 6 |
The North American Zone has the highest number of teams, and they will come from these countries:
| Mexico | 4 |
| US | 4 |
| Canada | 1 |
For Candian teams in the MLS, they will qualify via the single Canadian spot, instead of the 4 US spots.
For the Gold Cup, qualification depends on the country’s performance in the CONCACAF Nations League.
| CONCACAF Nations League Group | Qualified Teams | # Of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| League A | Top 2 teams of each group | 8 |
| League B | Winners of each group | 4 |
These 12 teams automatically qualify for the Gold Cup. The remaining 4 slots are decided by the Gold Cup Qualifiers, which involves:
- 4 third-placed teams from League A
- 4 second-placed teams from League B
- 4 group winners of League C
Rewards for winning the competition
The winners of the CONCACAF Champions League will be crowned the best club in North America.
Furthermore, they will automatically qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals where they compete for the title of world champions.
Meanwhile, your country will be the champions of the North American (CONCACAF) region by winning the Gold Cup.
Verdict
Here is a summary of the comparison between these two competitions:
| CONCACAF Champions League | CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Teams | 16 | 16 |
| Frequency of Competition | Annually | Biennially |
| Duration of Competition | 2 months | 1 month |
| Format of Competition | Knockout round (RO16) | Group stage + knockout round (QF) |
| Number of Matches | Up to 7 | Up to 6 |
| Squad size | 23 | 23 |
| Qualification | Zonal qualification | CONCACAF Nations League + Gold Cup Qualifiers |
| Automatic Qualification | None | Only for the host nation |
| Rewards for Winning The Competition | Best club in CONCACAF + quarter-final of Club World Cup | Best country in CONCACAF |
Conclusion
Both the CONCACAF Champions League and the Gold Cup are prestigious competitions. However, the CONCACAF Champions League is a club competition while the Gold Cup is a national team tournament.
The question of which tournament is more prestigious may vary between players, depending on how highly they value the Gold Cup in relation to club success!
You can find out more about the differences between club football and international football here.
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