The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) is one of six continental governing bodies under FIFA that oversees soccer in their respective regions. CONCACAF is responsible for national teams and club soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
When it comes to the FIFA World Cup, the highest profile international soccer tournament, CONCACAF receives a certain allocation of qualifying spots depending on the overall field size. With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, CONCACAF’s allocation will increase.
How Many Teams Represent CONCACAF at the World Cup Currently?
Under the current 32-team World Cup format used from 1998 to 2022, CONCACAF receives 3 direct spots to the World Cup. The qualification process involves a series of tournaments and matches to determine which teams from the region advance to the big dance.
Those three direct slots are allotted as follows:
| Spot #1 | Awarded to the winner of the final round group in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying |
| Spot #2 | Awarded to the runner up of the final round group in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying |
| Spot #3 | Awarded to the winner of a two-leg intercontinental playoff between the 3rd place CONCACAF team and a team from another confederation |
So in summary, two teams directly qualify by finishing in the top two of the final round hexagonal of CONCACAF qualifying. The third place team advances to a playoff, needing to win one more two-leg tie against another confederation’s team to make the World Cup.
This format has been in place since the 1998 World Cup in France. During this period, the United States and Mexico have claimed 18 of the 24 CONCACAF spots in the World Cup – highlighting their dominance in the region. Costa Rica, Honduras, and Trinidad & Tobago have also qualified out of CONCACAF over the past six World Cups.
How Will CONCACAF World Cup Slots Increase for 2026?
In 2026, the World Cup is expanding from 32 to 48 teams. This will lead to an increased allocation for each confederation.
For CONCACAF, their slots at the 2026 World Cup hosted jointly by USA, Canada, and Mexico will increase from 3 to 6.
The proposed breakdown of the 6 CONCACAF spots for 2026 is:
| Spot #1 | Awarded to top finisher in final qualifying round group |
| Spot #2 | Awarded to 2nd place finisher in final qualifying round group |
| Spot #3 | Awarded to 3rd place finisher in final qualifying round group |
| Spot #4 | Awarded to 4th place finisher in final qualifying round group |
| Spot #5 | Awarded to 5th place finisher in final qualifying round group |
| Spot #6 | Awarded to playoff winner between two teams from final qualifying round |
So the top 5 teams from the final round hexagonal of CONCACAF qualifying will book their places at the expanded 48 team World Cup. No more inter-confederation playoffs for the 4th place team.
The 6th place CONCACAF team will participate in a playoff, but this time against another CONCACAF nation to grab the last automatic berth.
This format will open the World Cup door to more CONCACAF teams. With 6 spots, some of the region’s smaller soccer countries like Jamaica, Panama, El Salvador etc. will have a better chance of making it.
What is the CONCACAF Qualifying Format Leading to the World Cup?
Now that we know how many CONCACAF World Cup spots are up for grabs, what does the overall qualifying tournament look like on the road to the World Cup?
It is a long process spanning over two years and consisting of several rounds.
Here is an overview of the different stages in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying:
Preliminary Round
The bottom ranked CONCACAF teams play a knock-out round to reduce the field. These matchups are usually played over two legs, home and away. The winners advance to the next round.
First Round
Remaining teams are grouped regionally into three pots: Central America, Caribbean, and Central America.
Each pot conducts a round robin group stage. The top teams in each first round group advances to the next round.
Second Round
In the second round, the top teams from the three first round pots are placed into two groups of six teams each.
These two hexagonal groups play a double round robin with each team having 10 matches. The top three finishers in each of these two second round groups qualify directly for the World Cup.
Intercontinental Playoff
The fourth place team from each group advances to a two leg playoff. The winner of this playoff claims the final CONCACAF spot at the World Cup.
So in summary, the marathon CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament starts with preliminaries over a year out. The stakes increase in the first and second rounds until the hexagonal round, where 4 of the 6 CONCACAF World Cup spots are clinched.
Who are Favorites to Qualify from CONCACAF in 2022 and 2026?
Based on history and current team strength, the favorites to qualify for the next two World Cups out of CONCACAF are:
2022 World Cup
Given there are only 3 direct spots, the safe bets are on United States and Mexico grabbing two of those places. Both nations have tremendous talent pools to draw from and invest heavily in the sport domestically.
The third automatic place is tougher to predict. Costa Rica, Jamaica, Panama and Canada could all contend for third depending on their development over the next two years. Any would have a strong chance against an intercontinental playoff opponent.
2026 World Cup
With 6 CONCACAF spots up for grabs, the United States and Mexico are virtual locks to qualify. The hosting duties for USA and Mexico provide insurance.
The third automatic place could go to either Canada or Costa Rica. Canada is improving swiftly, powered by stars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David. Costa Rica has an established soccer program that punched above its weight at recent World Cups.
The fourth CONCACAF automatic place may be the most hotly contested between competitive sides like Jamaica, Panama, El Salvador and Honduras. Any could overtake the others by 2026.
The fifth automatic spot and intercontinental playoff place will also be up for grabs between whichever teams don’t take the third and fourth spots.
No matter what teams end up representing CONCACAF, having six participants from the region competing on home soil at the 2026 World Cup will be a major achievement. It promises to accelerate the growth of the sport across North America, Central American, and the Caribbean.
Conclusion
In summary:
- CONCACAF currently receives 3 guaranteed World Cup spots, with a playoff for a 4th team.
- For the expanded 48 team World Cup in 2026, CONCACAF will receive 6 total spots.
- The CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament involves several rounds over a two year period.
- The United States and Mexico are near locks to qualify from CONCACAF for 2022 and 2026.
- Canada has emerged as contender for third CONCACAF World Cup spot in 2026.
- Depth is improving across CONCACAF as more nations contend for World Cup spots.
The allocation increase to 6 World Cup places for the 2026 tournament will be hugely beneficial for CONCACAF. It rewards the growth of soccer in the region and allows a wider range of countries to compete on the biggest global stage. Exciting times are ahead for CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
