The Gold Cup doesn’t exactly excite quite like the Euros, Copa America or even the Confederations Cup. There are really only three, maybe four, quality teams and the chances of getting CONCACAF’d are higher than ever.
Even though odds are stacked in favor of Mexico or the United States winning in the end, there are reasons to watch the other 10 countries competing over the month of July.
Here's why you should root for each of the 10 nations who aren’t the U.S. or Mexico.
Costa Rica has loads of biodiversity to cherish.
With nearly 25 percent of the country’s land mass protected either as a national park or otherwise, Costa Rica loves its wildlife. The small country (19,700 square miles) is home to 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity.
If you like lots of cool animals, from tree frogs to capuchins, root for Costa Rica.
Mariano Rivera
While Panama is most known for its canal, the country’s greatest contribution to the world is Mariano Rivera, the former Yankees closer who is Major League Baseball’s career leader in saves.
If you like shutting things down for the evil empire, root for Panama.
Martinique features in Assassin's Creed III
A region of France located in the Caribbean, Martinique plays a role in Assassin’s Creed III, with the protagonist chasing down an evil doer on the island and saving the day.
If you like video game franchises that have been way overdone, root for Martinique.
Sea turtles love El Salvador and so should you!
Half of the world’s species of sea turtles at some point visit Salvadoran beaches and of those four, all are endangered.
We don’t want them to die, so if you like turtles, root for El Salvador.
Curaçao
In Curaçao, prostitution is legal for foreign women. The country is part of the Kingdom of Netherlands, so imagine Amsterdam’s red light district in a Caribbean form. Campo Alegre has been operating for more than 68 years.
If you like paying for sex, root for Curaçao.
Drake loves Jamaica
For the music lovers out there, Jamaica is the country for you. No, not for Bob Marley. For Drake, duh.
But The18, you ask, isn’t Drake from Canada? Well, yes, but he wishes he was Jamaican.
You can get to space from French Guiana
This territory is a part of France but located in South America and its citizens are eligible to play for France (former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda was from the region). Because of its location and European ownership, the Guiana Space Centre was built and launches supplies to the international space station.
If you think space is cool — and you really should — root for French Guiana.
The national bird of Honduras is the scarlet macaw.
The national bird for Honduras is the beautiful scarlet macaw, a red, yellow and blue parrot.
If you like pretty birds, root for Honduras.
Nicaragua doesn't want the world to heat up too much.
Nicaragua is one of three countries that has chosen to walk away from the Paris Agreement, along with Syria and the U.S.
But while Syria hasn’t agreed due to, you know, the whole civil war thing, and Trump pulled the U.S. out because he doesn’t understand science, Nicaragua objected because it did not do enough for the planet.
If you like making a weird stand for a good cause, root for Nicaragua.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
One name: Justin Trudeau.
Just one look at the dreamboat PM and you’ll be screaming for Canada like a schoolgirl at a Taylor Swift concert.
