Central America, Caribbean chase final Concacaf World Cup spots | OneFootball

Six teams from Central America and six from the Caribbean will compete starting this Thursday for the last spots in the Concacaf for the 2026 World Cup, in a unique final phase without United States, Mexico, and Canada, who are already qualified as hosts.

In total, there will be three direct spots and two for the playoffs at stake, in a competition that promises balance among teams with less tradition.

World Cup Qualifiers Matches – Concacaf 🌎⚽

Thursday (09/04)

Friday (09/05)

Panama and Guatemala in the Spotlight

Panama, which has been rising on the international scene, debuts away against Suriname, in Group A. Coach Thomas Christiansen urged caution, despite the fans' optimism.

Guatemala, led by Luis Fernando Tena, hosts El Salvador in an atmosphere of excitement after being a Gold Cup semifinalist. On the other side, the experienced Colombian Hernán Darío Gómez, the Salvadoran coach, reminded that “there will be no easy games.”

Costa Rica and Honduras Seek Affirmation

In Group C, Costa Rica visits Nicaragua on Friday, dreaming of its fourth consecutive World Cup participation. Under the command of Mexican Miguel “Piojo” Herrera, the team will be led by Keylor Navas, 38 years old, a survivor of the historic 2014 campaign.

Honduras, managed by Reinaldo Rueda, debuts against Haiti. The Colombian coach emphasized the need to regain credibility on the field.

Guaranteed Caribbean Competition

In Group B, all participants are Caribbean, ensuring at least one team from the region in the World Cup. Among them, Jamaica (1998 World Cup) and Trinidad and Tobago (2006) already have World Cup history.

In the opening round, Bermuda hosts Jamaica, while Trinidad and Tobago faces Curaçao. Despite being the favorite, Jamaica is experiencing a financial crisis in its Federation and comes from a disappointing Gold Cup campaign.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.