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On Tuesday, February 28th, Concacaf announced the qualifying format for the 2026 World Cup, where Mexico, United States, and Canada are the hosts. The organization made it clear that there will be a total of 32 teams competing for the next World Cup, due to the automatic qualification of 'El Tri' and the other two countries. In total, there will be 3 direct tickets granted by FIFA, plus two more that will have the opportunity to compete in the International Playoff.
Concacaf qualification format
First round: It will be played between the four member associations with the lowest ranking. The four teams will be divided into two matchups. There will be two-legged matches that will take place during the March 2024 FIFA International Match Calendar. After the first round, the two winners will advance to the next phase.
Second round: This stage will be played between the two winners of the first round and the other 28 participating member associations. It will be held between June 2024 and June 2025. The countries will be divided into six groups of five teams, with four games per team, two home and two away. The winners of each group and the second-place teams will advance to the next phase.
Final round: In this phase, the first and second-place teams from the second round groups will play. The twelve teams will be divided into three groups of four teams. In each group, the teams will play against each other in home and away matches. In total, they will play six games (three at home and three away). This round will take place in the fall of 2025. The three winners will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Intercontinental Playoff: It is worth mentioning that the two best second-place teams from the final round groups will qualify for the playoff. However, the dates for these matches have not been confirmed yet. The details will be announced in the upcoming weeks or months.
Copa America 2024: qualification process
At the beginning of the year, Conmebol and Concacaf agreed to collaborate to enhance football in the continent. In this context, the Copa America 2024 was announced with the USA as the host. The Concacaf Nations League 2023/24 will serve as the qualification path. It will be the second time in history that it is co-hosted by both confederations.
The four winners of the quarterfinals of League A: These two-legged matches will be played in November 2023 between the four highest-ranked teams in League A (based on the Concacaf Ranking) and the first and second-place teams (four teams) from the expanded League A group stage.
The two winners of a Copa America playoff: These single-elimination matches will be played in March 2024, in a centralized location, between the four quarterfinals losers of League A.