The regional qualification phase, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, enters its decisive stage with 12 nations split into three groups of four. Each group will engage in a double round-robin format during the international windows of September, October, and November.
Joining the island quartet in the next stage are El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, and Suriname in Group A, and Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua in Group C.
Three Group Winners to Join Host Nations at Expanded World Cup
At stake are three direct qualification spots for the expanded 48-team World Cup, which will be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States — all of whom have automatically qualified as hosts. These three additional spots will bring CONCACAF’s total to six, its largest-ever representation at a FIFA World Cup.
The winner of each group will qualify directly for the 2026 tournament.
Second-Place Lifeline: Intercontinental Playoffs
While only group winners earn automatic spots, the qualification dream doesn’t end for all others. The two best second-placed teams across the groups will move on to the intercontinental playoffs scheduled for March 2026. That high-stakes mini-tournament will determine two final World Cup berths.
The playoff field will include six teams:
- Two from CONCACAF (second-placed group finishers)
- One from South America (No. 7)
- One from Asia (No. 9)
- One from Africa (No. 10)
- One from Oceania (New Caledonia, the region’s No. 2 team)
The format will feature single-leg semifinals among the four lowest-ranked teams, followed by single-leg finals, with the two winners claiming the last available World Cup tickets.
Global Picture: A New Era of Representation
The 2026 World Cup will mark a significant shift in global representation. The direct qualification allocations per region are as follows:
- Europe (UEFA): 16
- Africa (CAF): 9
- Asia (AFC): 8
- South America (CONMEBOL): 6
- North/Central America & Caribbean (CONCACAF): 6 (3 hosts + 3 qualifiers)
- Oceania (OFC): 1
With more spots and more opportunities than ever before, the road to 2026 is both historic and highly competitive. For the Caribbean’s Group B contenders, it will be an island rivalry with global implications.