The 2025 Gold Cup is heating up—but one match remains in the shadows. Forgotten by some, debated by many, the third place game may hold more weight than it seems.
The 2025 Gold Cup is racing toward its July 6 finale in Houston, but whispers have already begun about the match nobody talks about: the battle for bronze, a fixture once routine, now a murky footnote in the tournament’s history.
Concacaf scrapped the third‑place duel in 2005, briefly revived it a decade later then shelved it anew. Yet with cash, pride and ranking points all at stake, coaches, fans and broadcasters still debate the merits of a consolation clash now.
Pre‑tournament paperwork offers clues, yet speculation swirls: television slots, sponsor pressure and a restless fanbase might tip the scales. Until kickoff, the third‑place puzzle keeps insiders trading whispers day and nights.
Has the Gold Cup ever had a third place match?
Yes—though not consistently. From the Gold Cup’s inception in 1991 through the early 2000s, a third place match was a regular part of the tournament format. These bronze-medal fixtures typically took place the day before the final and were seen as a way to give closure to the tournament for semifinal losers, offering fans one last match to support their teams.
Several notable third place games delivered drama, including Canada’s shootout win over Colombia in 2000 and the USA’s 3–2 win over Costa Rica in 1993. While not always headline-grabbers, these matches gave underdog teams a moment in the spotlight.
When was the last time a third place game was played?
The last official third place game at the Concacaf Gold Cup took place in 2003, when Colombia defeated Costa Rica 2–0 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. After that edition, Concacaf opted to drop the match from its format entirely.
Although discussions about reintroducing it surfaced periodically, especially as guest nations like Brazil and South Korea brought international attention to the competition, no third place match has been staged since that 2003 encounter. It’s been over two decades since the Gold Cup last crowned a bronze winner.
Do the 2025 regulations include a third place fixture?
As of the tournament’s official competition regulations released in early 2025, there is no scheduled third place match for this year’s Gold Cup. The bracket format lists only semifinals and a final, with no mention of a consolation match for the losing sides.
This follows the same pattern seen in every edition since 2005. While the Gold Cup has evolved in terms of venues, team participation and scheduling, the omission of a third place game remains a consistent—and deliberate—choice by the organizing body.
Why was the third place match removed in the first place?
The decision to scrap the third place match wasn’t made on a whim. After 2003, Concacaf reassessed the tournament’s structure to focus on logistical efficiency and to avoid stretching the schedule with a game that, historically, drew limited fan interest and attendance.
There were also player welfare concerns: teams already eliminated from the title race often saw little motivation to compete again after a semifinal loss, particularly in a tightly packed summer calendar. Broadcasters and sponsors showed limited enthusiasm as well.
From: bolavip.com