Formerly known as the CAC or the Central American Games, the Central American and Caribbean Games (CACGs) were first held in 1926 in Mexico City, and are the oldest continuing regional games in the world – only the Olympic Games have run longer. The event is held every four years, in the middle year between the Summer Olympics. The name was changed from the Central American Games in 1935, when Caribbean nations joined, to reflect the growing involvement of countries beyond Central America.

The participating countries in this multi-sport regional championship event include nations from Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean nations of South America – Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. These countries must be entered by their National Olympic Committee. The Games are governed by Centro Caribe Sports (known as CACSO until 2022), which has 37 members – 32 countries and five territories.

The first countries to participate at the CACGs were Cuba, Guatemala and Mexico. The 1942 edition was cancelled because of World War II. A total of 31 countries took part in both the 1993 games in Ponce, Puerto Rico (3,570 athletes, 32 sports) and the 1998 games in Maracaibo, Venezuela (5,200 athletes, 31 sports). Cuba and Mexico lead the all-time medal count, Cuba with the most gold medals and Mexico with the most medals overall.

2023 Central American and Caribbean Games

The 24th Games were held in San Salvador, El Salvador, from 23 June to 8 July 2023, with 5,377 athletes from 35 nations competing in 37 sports (52 disciplines, 434 events). The edition was originally awarded to Panama City for 2022, but was reallocated after Panama withdrew; seven sports – taekwondo, modern pentathlon, equestrian, canoeing, shooting, racquetball and field hockey – were staged in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Chess and netball made their debut, and Guatemalan athletes competed as independents under the Centro Caribe Sports flag while their Olympic Committee was suspended.

2023 Medal Tally (top 10)

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total Medals
1 Mexico 145 108 100 353
2 Colombia 87 92 65 244
3 Cuba 74 59 63 196
4 Venezuela 32 46 80 158
5 Dominican Republic 25 36 50 111
6 Puerto Rico 25 27 44 96
7 Centro Caribe Sports * 17 27 35 79
8 Trinidad and Tobago 8 7 4 19
9 El Salvador 8 3 17 28
10 Panama 5 6 12 23

* Guatemalan athletes competed as independents under the Centro Caribe Sports flag.

2026 Central American and Caribbean Games

The 25th Games – billed as The Centennial Games, marking 100 years since the first edition in Mexico City – were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 24 July to 8 August 2026. It was the second time Santo Domingo hosted, after 1974.

  • 37 nations and territories and around 5,700 athletes competed in about 40 sports (53–56 disciplines) across 495 events, with a record 3,244 medals awarded.
  • Main venues included the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, the Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte and the Arena BanReservas, with events spread across Santo Domingo, the Parque del Este zone and outlying regions.
  • Esports and skateboarding made their debut; squash and water skiing returned to the programme.
  • The Games were opened by President Luis Abinader, with the cauldron lit by four-time world and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Félix Sánchez. The mascot was Colí, based on the Hispaniolan motmot.

2026 Medal Tally (top 10)

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total Medals
1 Mexico 167 125 115 407
2 Colombia 91 98 77 266
3 Cuba 51 48 56 155
4 Venezuela 49 70 97 216
5 Dominican Republic 46 37 67 150
6 Puerto Rico 34 35 55 124
7 Guatemala 18 32 44 94
8 Panama 8 8 8 24
9 Trinidad and Tobago 6 5 10 21
10 El Salvador 6 4 14 24

A total of 31 nations and territories won at least one medal.

Highlights included Dominican sprinter Liranyi Alonzo breaking a 28-year-old Games record in the women's 100m (11.10), Ronal Longa taking Colombia's first men's 100m gold at the Games, Mexico sweeping all nine diving golds with three individual titles for Osmar Olvera, and the Dominican women's volleyball team winning a seventh consecutive gold.

The next Central American and Caribbean Games

  • 2030 – host to be confirmed. No handover took place at the Santo Domingo closing ceremony because the next host has not been chosen. Caracas, Venezuela is the candidate city: Centro Caribe Sports approved a formal evaluation of the bid in 2026, giving the Venezuelan Olympic Committee 90 days to file its documentation, followed by an inspection visit by the Future Sites Commission and a decision by the Executive Committee, which may convene an Extraordinary Assembly to confirm the host. Caracas last staged the Games in 1959, and Venezuela last hosted in Maracaibo in 1998.

Recent hosts

  • 2014 – Veracruz, Mexico
  • 2018 – Barranquilla, Colombia
  • 2023 – San Salvador, El Salvador (postponed from 2022)
  • 2026 – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • 2030 – to be confirmed