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The 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League Finals headline a busy week of national team football in the CONCACAF region.
CONCACAF Nations League Finals
The 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League comes to an exciting conclusion this week with the CONCACAF Nations League Finals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
It marks the conclusion of the third edition of the CONCACAF Nations League, and everything gets started on Thursday night with the Semifinals.
Taking the stage first will be the United States and Jamaica. The U.S. are the two-time defending champions, having won the inaugural tournament in 2021 before claiming the crown of the 2022-23 CNL last summer in Las Vegas. Many of the players who were part of those title-winning teams for the U.S. will be back in the fold, like star players Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Weston McKennie.
Jamaica are making history at this year’s CNL Finals as the first ever Caribbean side to appear in the final four. They will look to difference-makers like Bobby Reid. Michail Antonio and Demarai Gray to try to dethrone the reigning champions and reach the Final.
The nightcap will be a rematch of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, as Mexico take on Panama. Mexico are in search of their first ever CNL crown after reaching the Final in 2021 before succumbing to the U.S. in the 2023 Semifinals. The player who scored the winning goal against Panama in the 2023 Gold Cup Final, Santiago Gimenez, is in the fold for El Tricolor, as is star striker Hirving Lozano.
Panama are in their second CNL Finals after debuting at the 2023 edition last summer. The Canaleros faced El Tricolor in the Third-Place Match in 2023, narrowly falling 1-0 prior to the Gold Cup Final. This Semifinal represents a chance for Panama to avenge those two defeats, and with 2023 Gold Cup Best Player Award winner Adalberto Carrasquilla and dynamic MF Edgar Barcenas, they will certainly fancy their chances.
CONCACAF Nations League Play-Ins
This Saturday will feature CONCACAF Nations League Play-In matches that will take place at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
The first match will pit Canada against Trinidad and Tobago. These two sides have competed in several CONCACAF affairs, namely the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals when Canada defeated the Soca Warriors 1-0.
The second Play-In match will be a duel between very familiar Central American rivals, as Honduras take on Costa Rica. The Catrachos and Ticos squared off previous in CONCACAF Nations League play when they met in the Third-Place Match at the 2021 Finals.
The winner of each Play-In will qualify for the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024.
CONCACAF Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026
The First Round of CONCACAF Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off this week with a pair of two-legged series.
The match-ups begin on Friday with Anguilla hosting Turks and Caicos Islands, followed by US Virgin Islands welcoming in British Virgin Islands.
All four nations last competed in the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League in League C.
