CONCACAF has officially disclosed the schedule for the First and Second Round matches of the CONCACAF Qualifiers leading to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The qualification process will involve three distinct rounds and include 32 FIFA-affiliated CONCACAF Member Associations.
The draw for the Second Round of the competition took place, grouping 30 nations into six sets of five teams, with assistance from two regional legends, Paulo Wanchope Watson of Costa Rica, and Ricardo “Bibi” Gardner of Jamaica.
It’s worth noting that Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the co-hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2026, have already secured their spots in the tournament.
First Round: Four Member Associations (two match dates in March 2024)
The First Round features the lowest-ranked four CONCACAF Member Associations, as per the FIFA World Ranking as of December 21, 2023. The four teams in this round are, in ranking order, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, and Anguilla. The First Round fixtures are determined based on the team’s ranking position, and they are as follows:
- Play-off 1: Turks and Caicos Islands vs. Anguilla
- Play-off 2: British Virgin Islands vs. US Virgin Islands
These home-and-away series are scheduled to take place during the FIFA international match window in March 2024, and the winners of each play-off based on aggregate scores will advance to the Second Round.
Second Round: 30 Member Associations (four match dates in June 2024 and June 2025)
The Second Round of the CONCACAF Qualifiers includes the two winners from the First Round and the remaining 28 CONCACAF Member Associations. The 30 national teams are divided into six groups of five teams, as determined during the Qualifiers’ draw on January 25, and the groups are as follows:
- Group A: Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands
- Group B: Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Bahamas
- Group C: Haiti, Curaçao, St. Lucia, Barbados, Aruba
- Group D: Panama, Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat, Belize
- Group E: Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Winner Play-off 2
- Group F: El Salvador, Suriname, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Winner Play-off 1
The Second Round matches will be played during the FIFA international match windows in June 2024 and June 2025, with each team participating in four matches (two home and two away). After the completion of the Second Round, the group winners and runners-up (12 teams in total) will advance to the Qualifiers’ third and final round.
Final Round: 12 Member Associations (six match dates in September, October, and November 2025)
The Final Round of the CONCACAF Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature the group winners and runners-up from the Second Round, totaling 12 teams. These 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four teams each. Each team will play every other team in their group both at home and away, amounting to six matches (three at home and three away).
The Final Round matches are scheduled to take place during the FIFA international match windows in September, October, and November 2025. Following the conclusion of the Final Round, the three group winners will secure direct qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026, joining the hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Moreover, the two best runners-up from the Final Round will represent CONCACAF in the FIFA Play-off Tournament. In total, the CONCACAF region could potentially have up to eight teams participating in the FIFA World Cup, marking a historic achievement.
A separate draw will be conducted for the Final Round following the conclusion of the Second Round.
The schedule for the First Round matches is as follows (home team listed first):
- Friday, March 22, 2024: Anguilla vs. Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands vs. British Virgin Islands
- Tuesday, March 26, 2024: Turks and Caicos Islands vs. Anguilla, British Virgin Islands vs. US Virgin Islands
The schedule for the Second Round matches is as follows (home team listed first):
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
(A) Antigua and Barbuda vs Bermuda
(B) Trinidad and Tobago vs Grenada
(C) Curaçao vs Barbados
(D) Nicaragua vs Montserrat
(E) Guatemala vs Dominica
(F) Suriname vs St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Thursday, June 6, 2024
(A) Honduras vs Cuba
(B) Costa Rica vs St. Kitts and Nevis
(C) Haiti vs St. Lucia
(D) Panama vs Guyana
(E) Jamaica vs Dominican Republic
(F) El Salvador vs Puerto Rico
Saturday, June 8, 2024
(A) Cayman Islands vs Antigua and Barbuda
(B) Bahamas vs Trinidad and Tobago
(C) Aruba vs Curaçao
(D) Belize vs Nicaragua
(E) Winner Play-off 2 vs Guatemala
(F) Winner Play-off 1 vs Suriname
Sunday, June 9, 2024
(A) Bermuda vs Honduras
(B) Grenada vs Costa Rica
(C) Barbados vs Haiti
(D) Montserrat vs Panama
(E) Dominica vs Jamaica
(F) St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs El Salvador
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
(A) Cuba vs Cayman Islands
(B) St. Kitts and Nevis vs Bahamas
(C) St. Lucia vs Aruba
(D) Guyana vs Belize
(E) Dominican Republic vs Winner Play-off 2
(F) Puerto Rico vs Winner Play-off 1
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
(A) Bermuda vs Cayman Islands
(B) Grenada vs Bahamas
(C) Barbados vs Aruba
(D) Montserrat vs Belize
(E) Dominica vs Winner Play-off 2
(F) St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs Winner Play-off 1
Friday, June 6, 2025
(A) Antigua and Barbuda vs Cuba
(B) Trinidad and Tobago vs St. Kitts and Nevis
(C) Curaçao vs St. Lucia
(D) Nicaragua vs Guyana
(E) Guatemala vs Dominican Republic
(F) Suriname vs Puerto Rico
Saturday, June 7, 2025
(A) Cayman Islands vs Honduras
(B) Bahamas vs Costa Rica
(C) Aruba vs Haiti
(D) Belize vs Panama
(E) Winner Play-off 2 vs Jamaica
(F) Winner Play-off 1 vs El Salvador
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
(A) Cuba vs Bermuda
(A) Honduras vs Antigua and Barbuda
(B) St. Kitts and Nevis vs Grenada
(B) Costa Rica vs Trinidad and Tobago
(C) St. Lucia vs Barbados
(C) Haiti vs Curaçao
(D) Guyana vs Montserrat
(D) Panama vs Nicaragua
(E) Dominican Republic vs Dominica
(E) Jamaica vs Guatemala
(F) Puerto Rico vs St. Vincent and the Grenadines
(F) El Salvador vs Suriname
These matches will involve a wide range of CONCACAF nations competing for a coveted spot in the prestigious FIFA World Cup 2026, generating excitement and anticipation among football fans across the region.
