The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will determine which teams from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
A total of 3.5 slots will be available for Concacaf teams at the World Cup, with the top three teams from the final round of qualifying automatically qualifying for the tournament. The fourth-placed team will advance to an inter-confederation playoff for a chance to qualify for the World Cup.
Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be a competitive tournament, with 3.5 slots available for Concacaf teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- 3.5 slots for Concacaf teams
- Top 3 teams qualify automatically
- 4th-placed team advances to inter-confederation playoff
- 6 rounds of qualification
- 23 teams competing
- Matches played in 2023 and 2024
- USA, Canada, and Mexico automatically qualify as hosts
- Draw for Round 1 to be held in April 2023
The qualifiers will be played over six rounds, with the 23 competing teams entering the tournament at different stages depending on their FIFA ranking.
3.5 slots for Concacaf teams
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) will have 3.5 slots for teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The top three teams from the final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying will automatically qualify for the World Cup. The fourth-placed team will advance to an inter-confederation playoff, where they will compete for a chance to qualify for the World Cup.
This is an increase from the previous World Cup, where Concacaf had 3.5 slots. The increase in slots is due to the fact that the 2026 World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams, up from 32 teams in previous tournaments.
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be a competitive tournament, with 23 teams vying for the 3.5 available slots. The qualifiers will be played over six rounds, with the top six teams from the final round advancing to the inter-confederation playoff.
The draw for the first round of qualifying will be held in April 2023. The qualifiers will begin in June 2023 and will conclude in March 2024.
Top 3 teams qualify automatically
The top three teams from the final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying will automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The final round of qualifying will feature six teams, who will play each other home and away in a round-robin format. The top three teams in the standings at the end of the round-robin will qualify for the World Cup.
The six teams that will compete in the final round of qualifying will be the winners of the three semi-final groups, as well as the three second-place teams with the best records.
The semi-final groups will be determined by a draw, which will be held in April 2023. The semi-final groups will be played in June and September 2023, and the final round of qualifying will be played in March 2024.
The top three teams from the final round of qualifying will join the United States, Canada, and Mexico, who have all automatically qualified for the World Cup as hosts.
4th-placed team advances to inter-confederation playoff
The fourth-placed team from the final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying will advance to an inter-confederation playoff.
The inter-confederation playoff will be a single-elimination tournament, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup.
The fourth-placed team from Concacaf will face the fourth-placed team from Asia in the inter-confederation playoff.
The inter-confederation playoff will be played in March 2026, at a neutral venue to be determined by FIFA.
This is the first time that a Concacaf team will have to participate in an inter-confederation playoff to qualify for the World Cup.
6 rounds of qualification
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be played over six rounds.
The first round will be a preliminary round, which will be played in March 2023. The 23 teams that are not ranked in the top six of the FIFA World Rankings will compete in the preliminary round.
The preliminary round will be played in a single-elimination format, with the winners advancing to the first round proper.
The first round proper will be played in June 2023. The 16 teams that advance from the preliminary round will join the six top-ranked Concacaf teams in the first round proper.
The first round proper will be played in a round-robin format, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the second round.
23 teams competing
A total of 23 teams will compete in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024.
The 23 teams are:
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- French Guiana
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Mexico
- Montserrat
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sint Maarten
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- United States
- US Virgin Islands
The 23 teams will compete for 3.5 slots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Matches played in 2023 and 2024
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 matches will be played over two years, in 2023 and 2024.
- Preliminary round: March 2023
The preliminary round will be a single-elimination tournament, with the winners advancing to the first round proper.
First round proper: June 2023
The first round proper will be played in a round-robin format, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the second round.
Second round: September 2023
The second round will be played in a round-robin format, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the third round.
Third round: March 2024
The third round will be played in a single-elimination format, with the winners advancing to the final round.
The final round will be played in a round-robin format, with the top three teams qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the fourth-placed team advancing to the inter-confederation playoff.
USA, Canada, and Mexico automatically qualify as hosts
The United States, Canada, and Mexico will automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as hosts.
- FIFA rule: Hosts of the FIFA World Cup automatically qualify for the tournament.
- Benefit to host nations: Automatic qualification gives the host nations more time to prepare for the tournament and allows them to focus on other aspects, such as infrastructure and fan engagement.
- Impact on other Concacaf teams: The automatic qualification of the host nations means that there are fewer slots available for other Concacaf teams to qualify for the World Cup.
In the case of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will occupy three of the 3.5 slots allocated to Concacaf.
Draw for Round 1 to be held in April 2023
The draw for the first round of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be held in April 2023.
The 23 teams that are not ranked in the top six of the FIFA World Rankings will compete in the first round.
The teams will be divided into six pots, based on their FIFA ranking.
The pots will be as follows:
- Pot 1: Teams ranked 7-12
- Pot 2: Teams ranked 13-18
- Pot 3: Teams ranked 19-24
- Pot 4: Teams ranked 25-30
- Pot 5: Teams ranked 31-36
- Pot 6: Teams ranked 37-42
The teams will be drawn into six groups of four teams each.
The winners of each group will advance to the first round proper.
The draw for the first round will be held at the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami, Florida.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024:
Question 1: When will the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 be played?
Answer: The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be played from March 2023 to March 2024.
Question 2: How many teams will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from Concacaf?
Answer: 3.5 teams from Concacaf will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Question 3: How will the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 be formatted?
Answer: The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be played over six rounds, with the top three teams from the final round qualifying for the World Cup and the fourth-placed team advancing to an inter-confederation playoff.
Question 4: When will the draw for the first round of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 be held?
Answer: The draw for the first round of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be held in April 2023.
Question 5: Which teams have automatically qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as hosts?
Answer: The United States, Canada, and Mexico have automatically qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as hosts.
Question 6: How many teams will compete in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024?
Answer: 23 teams will compete in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024.
Closing Paragraph for FAQ
For more information about the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024, please visit the CONCACAF website.
In addition to the FAQ, here are some tips for following the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024:
Tips
Here are some tips for following the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024:
Tip 1: Check the schedule and standings regularly.
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be played over a long period of time, so it is important to check the schedule and standings regularly to stay up-to-date on the latest results and upcoming matches.
Tip 2: Watch the matches live or on demand.
There are many ways to watch the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 matches live or on demand. You can watch the matches on television, online, or through streaming services.
Tip 3: Follow the teams and players on social media.
Many of the teams and players participating in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 have social media accounts. Following the teams and players on social media is a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest news and updates.
Tip 4: Read the news and analysis.
There are many news outlets and websites that cover the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024. Reading the news and analysis can help you to understand the storylines and key issues surrounding the tournament.
Closing Paragraph for Tips
By following these tips, you can stay up-to-date on all the action and excitement of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024.
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 are sure to be an exciting and competitive tournament. By following these tips, you can make sure that you don’t miss any of the action.
Conclusion
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 will be a competitive and exciting tournament, with 23 teams vying for 3.5 slots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The qualifiers will be played over six rounds, with the top three teams from the final round qualifying for the World Cup and the fourth-placed team advancing to an inter-confederation playoff.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico have automatically qualified for the World Cup as hosts, which means that there are fewer slots available for other Concacaf teams.
The draw for the first round of qualifying will be held in April 2023, and the matches will begin in June 2023.
The Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024 are sure to be an exciting and competitive tournament, and fans can follow the action by checking the schedule and standings regularly, watching the matches live or on demand, following the teams and players on social media, and reading the news and analysis.
Closing Message
Good luck to all the teams participating in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2024!