Riyadh, December 20, 2024 — In a significant development for Saudi football, the Saudi national football team will make its debut in the upcoming 2025 and 2027 editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The prestigious tournament will take place from June 14 to July 6, 2025, and will be co-hosted by the United States and Canada. This marks a historic moment for Saudi Arabia as the team competes on an international stage alongside some of the best teams from the Americas.
The Saudi team joins an elite group of nations that have already secured their spots for the 2025 Gold Cup. These teams include Canada, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and the United States. The remaining seven spots will be determined through qualification matches set for March 2025, with the final tournament draw scheduled for April 10, 2025. The 2025 Gold Cup promises to be a spectacular event, taking place across 14 stadiums in 11 cities throughout both the United States and Canada. Among these venues are five stadiums that will also serve as host locations during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underscoring the growing importance of this tournament in the global football calendar.
The announcement of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the tournament was met with enthusiasm from key figures in Saudi football. Yasser Al Misehal, the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, emphasized that the country’s involvement in the Gold Cup is a direct result of the strong and unwavering support from the leadership of the Kingdom. Al Misehal expressed gratitude for the resources provided by the Saudi Ministry of Sports, which has played a pivotal role in elevating the country’s football program to an internationally recognized level.
He further highlighted that this participation is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to develop its national team in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The 2025 Gold Cup is seen as a key milestone in the team’s preparations, offering the Saudi squad valuable international experience just a year before the World Cup. This involvement also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s growing ambition to assert itself as a competitive force in global football, with the Kingdom’s footballing landscape set to undergo further transformation in the coming years.
The Saudi national team’s entry into this prestigious tournament is expected to have a significant impact on both the domestic football scene and the country’s international profile. With top-tier teams such as Mexico, the United States, and Panama also participating, the 2025 Gold Cup will provide the Saudi team with invaluable opportunities to test their skills against world-class competition, further sharpening their readiness for the global stage. This historic participation not only reinforces Saudi Arabia’s commitment to advancing its footballing goals but also solidifies its growing influence within the sport on the global stage.