Concacaf, the confederation that oversees football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean is looking ahead to two of the biggest years in its history. In addition to major Concacaf club and national team competitions, the region will also play host to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and the FIFA World Cup 2026. For an organisation that has evolved significantly over the past eight years, these tournaments represent a major growth opportunity as part of a reimagined competition schedule.
Few sporting organisations have undergone a transformation as extensive as Concacaf in recent years.
However, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the Confederation of North American, Central American and Caribbean football believes it is well equipped to navigate future challenges and opportunities beyond the game-changing tournament in less than two years’ time.
The World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico – three of Concacaf’s 41 national members – and will represent an unprecedented celebration of football in the region. It will also mark a decade since Concacaf president Victor Montagliani took the reins, heralding the beginning of a new era at the continental body.
At the heart of a strategy that has stabilised the turbulence that had previously engulfed the organisation and mobilised it for future growth is a “football first” approach that has underpinned every major decision overseen by the 59-year-old Canadian over the past eight years.
Club and international competitions in the region have been reimagined, from the men’s and women’s Concacaf Champions Cups to the Concacaf Gold Cup, providing a fresh platform for the development of the game across a vast region that stretches from Canada in the north to Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana in the south.
These changes, and a multitude of other developments off the pitch, have ensured that the 2026 World Cup, while understandably earmarked as a pinnacle for Concacaf football, is widely viewed as the next step on the journey rather than the final destination.
“Notwithstanding our commitment to continue this journey, we recognise the very significant progress made and the fact that we have now earned the right, through this collective hard work, to think long term,” says Montagliani, who is also FIFA vice-president.
“We have enhanced our men’s, women’s and youth competitions, we have entirely new club ecosystems which are far more relevant on the regional and global stage, we have introduced Concacaf’s first ever coach-licensing programming, and we are investing in each and every one of our 41 member federations to support their local football development.
“In eight years, we have grown from a confederation which was close to bankruptcy in 2015-16 to now projecting $1bn of revenues for the current four-year [2022-2026] cycle.”
Competition changes
One of the most significant changes that Concacaf has pushed through is the relaunch of its competitions.
This year, the inaugural Concacaf Champions Cup took place, replacing the former Concacaf Champions League, with the tournament expanding to include 27 clubs and 51 matches. Underlining the scale of the investment by Concacaf into the revamped format, champions CF Pachuca from Mexico received $5m for the triumph – more than five times the prize money awarded to previous winners Club Leon.
These changes are already bearing fruit, with a record single match attendance being set with a knockout round fixture between Mexican sides Club America and Chivas attracting a crowd of 59,405.
An average attendance of 16,824 over the course of the tournament, the highest in four years, also signified the progress already achieved with Concacaf’s flagship men’s club competition.
Meanwhile, the continental body has also revamped its women’s competition calendar. The remodelled schedule includes the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers, a second edition of the W Gold Cup, and the launch of the W Nations League in 2028.
The new calendar will attempt to build on the success delivery of the inaugural W Gold Cup this year and the recently launched women’s club competition, the Concacaf W Champions Cup, which will crown its first champions in May 2025. The expectation is that an opportunity to accelerate the growth of women’s football will be seized, with professional services firm Deloitte projecting that the sport will generate $555m in total global revenues this year alone.
The competition calendar has been redesigned to ensure a consistent stream of tournaments for all Concacaf members and their clubs. It has been described as an ‘ecosystem’ as many of the tournaments serve as qualifiers for future events, building a months-long narrative that can engage fans, commercial partners and media rights-holders alike. For instance, by winning the inaugural Concacaf Champions Cup, Pachuca qualified for FIFA’s relaunched Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States next year. The Concacaf W Champions Cup will also feed into the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup that is scheduled to launch in 2026.
Ultimately, these elite-level events are expected to inspire more women and girls to take up the sport and follow it. This is a key pillar in Concacaf’s strategic priorities, with the body stating its specific aim to “invest in the development and long-term potential of the women’s game by strengthening the competitions calendar and creating dedicated programs to increase participation.”
Governance reforms
The foundations for Concacaf’s optimism were laid by governance reforms that were ushered in following Montagliani’s elevation to the helm.
“Upon becoming Concacaf president in 2016, it was clear that our priorities were enhancing our governance structures, uniting the member federations, and putting football first,” he says. “For too long, when people heard the word ‘Concacaf’ they did not think of football and that was that was a major issue for us to address with a full rebrand and reputational reset.”
Of course, like all similar sports organisations, there has been significant pressure to improve what was once a torrid financial outlook. In this context, supercharging commercial support has been a necessity.
While corporations that have invested into the governing body and its competitions over the last eight years have been essential towards Concacaf’s rebirth, opportunities for partners are only set to grow in the coming years.
Scotiabank, for example, has been a long-running supporter of Concacaf, with a partnership that stretches back to 2014.
The bank not only supports Concacaf’s top club competitions, but the commitment also extends to youth development, such as boys’ and girls’ U15, U17 and U20 events, as well other formats such as beach soccer and futsal. In the future, Scotiabank is aiming to leverage the partnership to take women’s football to another level.
“Scotiabank is proud to work with Concacaf and to play a pivotal role in the continued growth of football with a particular focus on the Women’s game through the Concacaf W Champions Cup,” says Nelson Lanza, Scotiabank’s vice-president of global sponsorship marketing.
“Supporting the confederation in its first-ever regional women’s competition highlights our dedication to the sports and represents a significant milestone for women, the game, and our mission to continue breaking down barriers to the sport.
“As the passion for football or soccer continues to grow in these regions, Scotiabank is delighted to build our collaboration with Concacaf, fuelling the passion for the game at every level, bringing clients and fans closer to the action, while also inspiring the next generation of players by fostering a sense of community.”
Scotiabank is an example of an ideal partner for Concacaf – an organisation that is keen to broaden its horizons and attract more fans for its competitions, nations and teams from across the globe. It is one of the only banks with scale across the North American corridor that also holds a presence across Latin America.
“Through our sponsored competitions, we are able to provide clients and fans exclusive, immersive football experiences that not only fuel their passion for the sport, but also strengthen their connection to our brand,” says Lanza.
“The expansion of the 2024 Champions Cup has fuelled greater interest in the game and provided Scotiabank with more opportunities to engage with fans across our key markets.”
Global audience
Building on the various revamped club and national team competitions, the World Cup will put the Concacaf region on centre stage in front of a global audience.
It is a near certainty that this will deliver significant growth for the sport and, as a result, Concacaf is urging prospective partners to “see the opportunity now before the enormous boom” and benefit from associating with an initiative-taking and forward-looking body ahead of the 2026 showpiece.
One brand that has recognised the potential is Japanese sports equipment company Molten.
The Hiroshima-based business began a seven-year partnership with Concacaf in February this year to become its official match ball partner for all competitions and developmental programmes.
This has the power to be a game-changer for the brand as it will allow it to connect, engage, and support football across the region on a scale that has not been seen before.
“We believe this partnership comes at a pivotal moment for soccer’s growth in the region, especially with the FIFA World Cup approaching in 2026,” Molten chief executive Melissa Dawson says.
“There are also additional significant events on the horizon. Molten is eager to be at the forefront of this excitement and ready to cultivate an increasing interest in sport.
“At the club level, Concacaf has made impressive strides in enhancing its club competition ecosystem over the past few years. This has generated thrilling, high stakes matches that keep fans and players engaged throughout the year.
“In Molten’s first year of collaboration, we have already witnessed tremendous energy surrounding the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Central American Cup, and notably, the newly introduced Women’s Champions Cup. This enthusiasm has driven an increased interest in our brand, bolstering our credibility and has opened new opportunities across a variety of markets.”
Molten will be working with Concacaf to design special balls for each competition in a bid to strengthen connections with fans and players.
This is also expected to fortify the Concacaf brand.
“This partnership provides Molten with an incredible opportunity to establish itself as a leading soccer brand in the region,” Dawson says. “Together, we are dedicated to making a significant impact on the growth of soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean.”
In terms of boosting commercial appeal, Concacaf has revamped its brand identity, upgraded its content efforts and created new commercial platforms, on top of expanding the competition calendar.
These changes are designed to ensure the organisation continues to progress towards the goals outlined in its 2030 Plan: namely to enhance competitive excellence, women’s football, operational efficiency, monetisation and global growth, whilst maximising potential.
However, further growth is anticipated, and excitement is tangible ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA World Cup over the next two years. This is especially the case for those who can remember the impact of the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 Women’s World Cup on men’s and women’s football in the United States.
“We have been on a tremendous journey these past eight years – all 41 member federations, the confederation, our many stakeholders including leagues, clubs, players, and fans – to grow all aspects of the game in the region,” Montagliani says.
“With the growth of our Concacaf competitions, including exciting men’s and women’s national team and club tournaments which will be delivered in the next few years, combined with 2026 being just around the corner, it is an incredibly exciting time to be associated with Concacaf and with football in this great region.”
