The president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), Víctor Montagliani, praised the growth of this sport in Nicaragua and their qualification for the upcoming edition of the Gold Cup.
“For me, the future (of soccer in Nicaragua) is clear: they have a program, they have a very good strategy, and we will see the results at the national team level,” both men’s and women’s teams, Montagliani stated.
“The growth of Nicaragua in the last three, four years is a success, not only for Nicaragua but also for Concacaf,” he added.
According to Montagliani, part of the progress of Nicaraguan soccer has been reflected in the qualification of the national team for the upcoming Gold Cup to be held in June.
In Concacaf’s premier competition, Nicaragua shares Group A with the host, the United States, and Jamaica, in a group where the fourth spot will be determined by preliminary round matches between Curaçao, Saint Kitts and Nevis, French Guiana, and Saint Martin.
Montagliani, who has been the president of Concacaf since 2016, met with the president of the Central American Football Union (UNCAF), Panamanian Pedro Chaluja, and José Bermúdez, the general secretary of the Nicaraguan Football Federation, to discuss new plans for developing the sport in the region.
“The team that José (Bermúdez) has here is very strong in development, as well as on the field. Congratulations on the qualification for the Gold Cup,” said Montagliani.
Nicaragua’s national team, led by Chilean coach Marcos “El Fantasma” Figueroa, is seeking friendly matches against South American teams prior to the tournament.
The upcoming Gold Cup will take place from June 16th to July 16th, with the final held at the SoFi Stadium (70,000 spectators), home to the Rams and Chargers of the NFL.
The matches in this edition will be distributed among a total of 14 cities in the United States and one in Canada.
As a prelude to the event, the Concacaf Nations League ‘Final Four’ will be contested by the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Panama between June 15th and 18th in Las Vegas, Nevada.