CONCACAF Releases October and November Schedule for Final Round of World Cup Qualifiers

CONCACAF has confirmed venues and kickoff times for the October and November matches of the Final Round of qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the confederation announced on its official site. Twelve national teams are competing, divided into three groups of four, with each side playing six games in a home-and-away round-robin format.

The draw placed Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala and Suriname in Group A; Jamaica, Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda in Group B; and Costa Rica, Honduras, Haiti and Nicaragua in Group C. The top team from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup, joining Canada, Mexico and the United States, who are already in as hosts.

The two best second-place finishers will advance to the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff in March 2026, competing for two additional spots. For the first time ever, CONCACAF could send as many as eight teams to a men’s FIFA World Cup.

The qualification path began in March 2024 and features three stages. The first round involved the four lowest-ranked nations competing for two spots in the second round. The second round included those winners along with 28 additional Member Associations, divided into six groups, with the top two from each group advancing.

The Final Round is being played across FIFA windows in September, October and November 2025, totaling 36 matches. All fixtures on November 18 are set to kick off simultaneously.