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• Jamaica face St Vincent, T&T take on Cuba as CONCACAF confirms format and matchups for 2025 Gold Cup preliminaries

  CONCACAF has officially announced the format for the 2025 Gold Cup Preliminaries, set to take place in March 2025. The preliminaries will feature 14 teams competing in home-and-away matchups, with the winners of each matchup earning a coveted spot in the Group Stage of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.

  The format will pit the highest-ranked team against the lowest-ranked team based on the November 20, 2024, CONCACAF Rankings, ensuring competitive balance. This ranking-based approach has resulted in matchups ranging from regional powerhouses like Costa Rica and Jamaica to emerging teams such as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize.

  The matchups are as follows: Costa Rica (1) will face Belize (14), Jamaica (2) will take on St Vincent and the Grenadines (13), Honduras (3) will go up against Bermuda (12), Guatemala (4) will play Guyana (11), Trinidad and Tobago (5) will battle Cuba (10), Martinique (6) will meet Suriname (9), and Nicaragua (7) will face Guadeloupe (8).

  Ranked second in the preliminaries, Jamaica will take on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, ranked 13th, in a two-legged tie. The first leg will be played in Kingston, followed by the return leg in Saint Vincent. A victory in the series will secure Jamaica’s place in the 2025 Gold Cup Group Stage, where they will aim to continue their strong regional performances.

  The preliminary round will determine the final seven teams to join the already-qualified nations in the Gold Cup Group Stage. The competition promises high-stakes action as teams vie for the opportunity to compete in one of CONCACAF’s most prestigious tournaments.

  The full schedule for the 2025 Gold Cup Preliminaries will be released in the coming weeks, with fans across the region eagerly anticipating the matchups that will shape the tournament’s final lineup. Stay tuned for updates as the road to the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup heats up!

  Matchups for the 2025 Gold Cup Preliminaries
  Costa Rica (1) vs Belize (14)
  Jamaica (2) vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (13)
  Honduras (3) vs Bermuda (12)
  Guatemala (4) vs Guyana (11)
  Trinidad and Tobago (5) vs Cuba (10)
  Martinique (6) vs Suriname (9)
  Nicaragua (7) vs Guadeloupe (8)

   

   

   

• Brazil 1-1 Uruguay: Valverde and Gerson hit superb goals in drab spectacle

  Brazil recovered from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw at home to a stubborn Uruguay side in Tuesday's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

  The hosts were booed by some quarters of their own support in Salvador following the result, which leaves them fifth in the table and five points inside the automatic qualification places.

  It was a match of few chances punctuated by two moments of world-class quality, with Uruguay striking first.

  Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first half, curling into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to put Uruguay a goal up.

  But seven minutes later, Gerson scored his first goal for his country to level things up, a brilliant volley from outside the box.

  The draw has Uruguay in second place, two points above Brazil, who could have won it if not for Sergio Rochet's fine save to deny Gabriel Martinelli, and five behind leaders Argentina with six matches remaining.

  Data debrief: Brazil struggle to break down Bielsa's Uruguay

  Despite Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Gabriel Martinelli all featuring in this game, Brazil could not find the quality to regularly trouble their visitors.

  The home side managed just three shots on target during the match – one more than Uruguay.

  While they won the xG battle 1.09 - 0.47, it will be a disappointment that they had 18 attempts in total and could only divert so few goalwards.

• Argentina 1-0 Peru: Martinez matches Maradona to snatch qualifying win

  Lautaro Martinez equalled Diego Maradona's scoring record for Argentina as his strike secured a 1-0 win over Peru in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

  The Albiceleste bounced back from a shock defeat to Paraguay, with the Inter striker's 55th-minute effort enough to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points.

  Argentina started brightly and almost took the lead with their first real opportunity, only for Julian Alvarez's powerful strike to rebound off the outside of the post.

  Alexis Mac Allister also came close moments later and rose high to meet Alvarez's cross, though he could only glance his header wide.

  Martinez, who netted his 32nd Argentina goal to go joint-fifth in the all-time scoring chart, proved decisive in the second half, acrobatically volleying Lionel Messi's cross into the back of the net.

  Lionel Scaloni's side are one place above Uruguay, who they face next. They are on 25 points at the top of the qualifying table, while Peru are rooted to the bottom with just seven. 

  Data Debrief: Equalling a great

  Martinez took 70 appearances to go level with Maradona in the Argentina record books, though he is still a long way off matching Messi's 112-goal tally for his country.

  The captain, meanwhile, registered his 58th assist, matching former United States forward Landon Donovan's record for most international assists.

  It was a needed win for the hosts, but they had to edge a cagey affair to get it. There were just three shots on target in the whole game, with all three falling to Argentina.

  Peru failed to attempt a shot on target for the first time in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers since facing Argentina in October 2023.