FIFA and CONCACAF conducted its draw for the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
The draw took place in the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland with CONCACAF legends Shaun Goater from Bermudas and David Suazo from Honduras.
The qualifying road in CONCACAF will consist of three stages: the first stage consists of six groups, A through F, with five teams in each one. Each team will play four matches, two at home and two on the road; the winner of each group will advance to the second stage of the qualifiers.
Group A: El Salvador, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Montserrat, US Virgin Islands
Group B: Canada, Suriname, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Aruba
Group C: Curaçao, Guatemala, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Cuba, British Virgin Islands
Group D: Panama, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Dominica, Anguilla
Group E: Haiti, Nicaragua, Belize, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands
Group F: Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Puerto Rico, Bahamas
In the second stage, the group winners will face off in a home-away series with the winner in each series advancing to the third and final stage of qualifiers.
The matchups in the second stage are the following:
— Group A winner vs Group F winner
— Group B winner vs Group E winner
— Group C winner vs Group D winner
In the third and final stage, the three winners of the second round will join the top five teams in CONCACAF and will compete in the “Octagon.”
During the final stage, each team will face off against one another in a home-away series, with each team playing a total of 14 matches.
The team positions are the following:
Team 1: Winner of 1B vs 1E
Team 2: Honduras
Team 3: Winner of 1A vs 1F
Team 4: USA
Team 5: Winner of 1C vs 1D
Team 6: Costa Rica
Team 7: Mexico
Team 8: Jamaica
At the end, the top three teams will automatically qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The fourth placed team will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff, which will take place in June of 2022.
“The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and the competition that players and coaches in our region, and the world over, dream of and aspire to compete in,” said Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President, Victor Montagliani.
“Today’s draw is the beginning of those dreams for our Member Associations, their national teams and of course the fans. It will create real excitement and anticipation in the Concacaf region. I know that many fans and communities in our region continue to face very challenging circumstances. My thoughts are with them and I hope that the prospect of an exciting World Cup qualification campaign in Concacaf can provide some hope and anticipation during such a difficult time for the world. To all the teams involved in this draw, and to their fans: your road to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is now set. Good luck, Buena suerte, bonne chance, success.”
