The CONCACAF Gold Cup is a tricky thing. For big teams such as the USMNT and Mexico, it's a prerequisite to win it, and a bit of an embarrassment if you don't. Yet Thursday's draw for the 2025 version yielded a few matchups that might complicate things.
Mexico, in Group A, have a bit of a mix. Costa Rica is agreeable, but Suriname and the Dominican Republic won't be complete pushovers. Still, after winning the CONCACAF Nations League, they should still be considered favorites. Things look considerably more awkward for the USMNT, who will have to face unlikely bogey team Trinidad & Tobago, and also wildcards Saudi Arabia.
Topping the group is by no means a certainty. There is considerably better news, though, for Canada and Panama, who seem well positioned to build on their Nations League success.
Piece it together, and what could usually be a formality looks like something a bit more complicated, with intriguing matchups and plenty of storylines to follow.
GOAL looks at the winners and losers from the 2025 Gold Cup draw.