The 2024 CONCACAF Central American Cup knockout stage will be played from 24 September to 5 December 2024.[1] A total of 8 teams compete in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2024 CONCACAF Central American Cup.[2]
Qualified teams
The winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the group stage advanced to the quarter-finals.
Teams will be seeded 1–8 based on results in the group stage and assigned a position in a fixed bracket. For example, the first semi-final will be contested between the winner of the 1 vs. 8 quarter-final and the winner of the 4 vs. 5 quarter-final. For each round, the host of the second leg will be determined based on performance in all previous rounds, including the group stage.
Format
The knockout stage will be played on a single-elimination tournament with the following rules:[2]
Each tie is played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The home team of the second leg in each tie will be determined separately for each round as follows (Regulations Article 12.11):
In the quarter-finals, the group winners will host the second leg.
In the semi-finals and play-in, the higher-ranked teams based on total points accumulated in the group stage and the quarterfinals will host the second leg.
In the finals, the higher-ranked team based on total points accumulated in the group stage, quarterfinals and semi-finals will host the second leg.
In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would be used. If still tied, the penalty shoot-out would be directly used to determine the winners (Regulations Article 12.10.2).
In the play-in and finals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would also be used. If still tied, 30 minutes of extra time would be played but the away goals scored during this time would not serve as a tie-breaking criteria. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (Regulations Article 12.10.3).
Bracket
The bracket of the final stages was determined as follows:[2]
Round
Matchups
Quarter-finals
(Group winner team host second leg)
Match QF1: Team seeded 1 vs. Team seeded 8
Match QF2: Team seeded 4 vs. Team seeded 5
Match QF3: Team seeded 2 vs. Team seeded 7
Match QF4: Team seeded 3 vs. Team seeded 6
Play-in round
(Higher-ranked team in each tie host second leg)
Match PI1: Loser QF1 vs. Loser QF2
Match PI2: Loser QF3 vs. Loser QF4
Semi-finals
(Higher-ranked team in each tie host second leg)
Match SF1: Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2
Match SF2: Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4
Finals
(Higher-ranked team host second leg)
Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2
The bracket was decided based on the quarter-finals seeding.
† Order of legs to be decided, with the higher-ranked team in each tie hosting the second leg.
Quarter-finals
In the quarter-finals, the teams were seeded based on their results in the group stage, with the group winners seeded 1–4, and the group runners-up seeded 5–8. The group winners will host the second leg.[3]
Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Disciplinary points (1 point for yellow card, 3 points for second yellow card/indirect red card, 4 points for direct red card, 5 points for yellow card and direct red card); 8) Drawing of lots (Regulations Article 12.11.4).[2]
Summary
The first legs will be played on 24–26 September, and the second legs will be played on 1–3 October 2024.[3]
Winner advances to the semi-finals (Match SF2) and qualifies for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One, at minimum. Loser advances to the play-in.
Play-in
In the play-in, the team in each tie which have the better performance across all previous rounds (group stage and quarter-finals) host the second leg.
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Host
1 (PI1)
Loser QF1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Second leg
2 (PI1)
Loser QF2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
First leg
1 (PI2)
Loser QF3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Second leg
2 (PI2)
Loser QF4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
First leg
First match(es) will be played: TBD. Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Disciplinary points (1 point for yellow card, 3 points for second yellow card/indirect red card, 4 points for direct red card, 5 points for yellow card and direct red card); 8) Drawing of lots (Regulations Article 12.11.4).[2]
In the semi-finals, the team in each tie which have the better performance across all previous rounds (group stage and quarter-finals) host the second leg.
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Host
1 (SF1)
Winner QF1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Second leg
2 (SF1)
Winner QF2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
First leg
1 (SF2)
Winner QF3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Second leg
2 (SF2)
Winner QF4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
First leg
First match(es) will be played: TBD. Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Disciplinary points (1 point for yellow card, 3 points for second yellow card/indirect red card, 4 points for direct red card, 5 points for yellow card and direct red card); 8) Drawing of lots (Regulations Article 12.11.4).[2]
Summary
Team 1
Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score
Team 2
1st leg
2nd leg
Winner QF1
SF1
Winner QF2
22–24 Oct
29–31 Oct
Winner QF3
SF2
Winner QF4
22–24 Oct
29–31 Oct
Matches
Winner QF1
v
Winner QF2
Winner QF2
v
Winner QF1
Winner advances to the finals.
Winner QF3
v
Winner QF4
Winner QF4
v
Winner QF3
Winner advances to the finals.
Finals
In the finals, the team which has the better performances across all previous rounds (group stage, quarter-finals and semi-finals) host the second leg.
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Host
1
Winner SF1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Second leg
2
Winner SF2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
First leg
First match(es) will be played: TBD. Source: CONCACAF Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Disciplinary points (1 point for yellow card, 3 points for second yellow card/indirect red card, 4 points for direct red card, 5 points for yellow card and direct red card); 8) Drawing of lots (Regulations Article 12.11.4).[2]