Who are the top scorers in CONCACAF Gold Cup history?

There’s not long to go now until the latest edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which this year will be co-hosted by the United States and Canada. The 2023 tournament, which will be the 17th time that the continental championship has been held, kicks off on 24 June and concludes with the final at SoFi Stadium on 16 July.

Since the Gold Cup first took place in 1991, the tournament has witnessed some of the region’s best ever goalscorers, particularly marksmen from the United States, Mexico and Panama. Players from these three countries make up the top five in the Gold Cup’s all-time list of leading scorers; no man from any other nation has career tally in the competition that reaches double figures.

USMNT pair top the table

In the Gold Cup goal charts, the top two spots are taken by a pair of historic former USMNT stars. Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are the two highest scorers in the history of the CONCACAF tournament. Donovan, who made his Gold Cup debut in 2000, netted 18 times in 34 competition appearances. It’s a goal haul that leaves him well out in front of Dempsey, who scored 13 times in 25 Gold Cup games after his tournament bow in 2005.

Alves and Guardado level in third

Third position is jointly occupied by two Mexicans. Luis Roberto Alves, who first appeared at the Gold Cup in 1991, bagged 12 goals in 10 games. Alongside Alves, the podium is completed by a veteran Mexico legend who has now retired from the national side, but is still playing club soccer at the age of 36. Andrés Guardado made his Gold Cup debut in 2007, and went on to bag 12 goals in 20 matches.

Rounding out the top five are two greats of the Panamanian game. Blas Pérez, whose first Gold Cup appearance came in 2005, was on target for Panama 11 times in 21 games at the tournament. One behind him is Luis Tejada, who notched up 10 Gold Cup strikes in 21 games. Tejada, La Marea Roja’s highest ever goalscorer, also made his tournament debut in 2005.