The 1989 CONCACAF Championship was the tenth and final edition of the CONCACAF Championship held under the format of serving as qualification to the 1990 FIFA World Cup and having no host nation for the final round. The tournament would be succeeded by the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991.
Costa Rica narrowly emerged as champions on goal difference to win their third title and participate in their first World Cup. The United States finished runners-up by virtue of one goal and qualified for their first World Cup in forty years. The U.S. gained their first World Cup qualification in 40 years by beating Trinidad and Tobago in their last game by 1–0, with a goal dubbed "The Shot Heard Round the World".
A total of sixteen CONCACAF teams entered the competition. However, FIFA rejected the entry of Belize because of its debts to FIFA.
Qualification
Five teams qualified from the two stage qualification process that ran from April to November 1988. Mexico were disqualified during this stage after having been found to have fielded over-aged players during the 1988 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament. Their scheduled opponents Costa Rica therefore advanced to the Final Round unopposed.
Teams
Squads
Final round
Costa Rica won the 1989 CONCACAF Championship and, along with the United States, qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Goalscorers
2 goals
Evaristo Coronado Juan Arnoldo Cayasso Leónidas Flores Raúl Chacón Julio Rodas Leonson Lewis Kerry Jamerson Philibert Jones
1 goal
Carlos Hidalgo Gilberto Rhoden Pastor Fernández Roger Flores Jaime Rodríguez José María Rivas Hutson Charles Bruce Murray Eric Eichmann Hugo Perez Paul Caligiuri Steve Trittschuh Tab Ramos
Notes
References
External links North, Central American and Caribbean zone at FIFA.com