Eight teams will compete for the Confederation’s U-23 title and for the two available spots in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020 
Miami (Wednesday, August 21, 2019) –The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) today announced that Guadalajara, Mexico will host the 2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying tournament. The competition is scheduled to take place March 20 – April 1, 2020, at the Jalisco and Akron Stadiums.

The 2020 edition of the quadrennial Concacaf championship, which will be held with the support of the Mexican Football Federation and the Jalisco State Government, will have the participation of the best eight under-23 national teams in the region. In addition to crowning a new champion, the tournament will qualify its finalists to the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020. 

“We are very excited to host the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. This competition plays a big role in showcasing the best of football across our Confederation, while providing an opportunity to qualify to the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Tokyo 2020,” said Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio. “Our teams have delivered strong and historic performances in the Olympic Games, we are looking forward to raising the competitive level in the region and bringing the gold back to Concacaf next year.”

“I am sure that it will be a great experience for the 8 teams that will try to secure a slot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as for the fans, since Guadalajara is a city that is characterized by the warmth and joy of its people, for its extensive culture, its delicious cuisine, as well as being the land of Mariachi, one of our cultural icons, also considered a World Heritage Site,” said Yon de Luisa, President of the FMF. “We appreciate the privilege for our Federation to collaborate with Concacaf and the Government of Jalisco in organizing this important event.”

The host announcement, held at the Hospicio Cabañas in Guadalajara, featured remarks by Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio, Governor of the State of Jalisco Enrique Alfaro Ramirez and Concacaf Vice President and President of the Mexican Football Federation Yon de Luisa.    

The 2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, set to take place during the FIFA Match Window of March 2020, will include a field of eight teams. Mexico will participate as host, alongside North American qualifiers Canada and the United States. From Central America, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras have secured a spot via the Central American qualifiers. 

The last two remaining teams will be confirmed in September, when the Caribbean qualifiers conclude. After an initial group stage, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Saint Kitts and Nevis have advanced to the final round. Saint Kitts and Nevis and Haiti, as the highest ranked teams, will host a single elimination play-in match versus Dominican Republic and Barbados, respectively. 

The date and procedures for the official draw which will divide the participating teams into two groups of four will be announced in the coming months. 

In the previous edition of the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, hosted in 2015, across four venues in the United States, Mexico topped Honduras 2-0 in the final. The two finalists qualified directly to the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016, while the third-place finisher, United States, disputed an inter-confederation playoff versus Conmebol. 

2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament

Date: March 20 – April 1, 2020

Venue: Guadalajara, Mexico

Participating Teams (listed in alphabetical order): Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, United States and two to be confirmed Caribbean teams. 

Competition Format: The eight participating teams will be sorted into two groups of four teams. After round-robin play, the first and second place finishers of each group will advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners will automatically qualify for the tournament’s final, as well as the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020.