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MIAMI — CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, announced it will have six automatic qualifying spots for the 2030 World Cup. A seventh berth will be available through an intercontinental playoff.
The confederation confirmed the news on Friday, although FIFA has not yet officially announced each confederation’s allocations. South American confederation CONMEBOL has suggested expanding the tournament further to 64 nations.
FIFA stated it is reviewing whether confederation allocations for 2030 have been finalized.
CONCACAF Qualifying Format for 2030
Qualifying will begin in September 2027. Teams ranked 14th through 35th in CONCACAF will compete in a home-and-away, total-goals first round.
The 11 winners will advance to the second round, joining the top 13-ranked nations. The 24 teams will be split into six groups of four, playing six matches from October to November 2027 and March 2028.
The top two teams from each group will move to a 12-nation final round, scheduled for June 2028 and September to October 2029. This stage features three groups, with each team playing six matches. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the 2030 World Cup, which will take place primarily in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with one match each in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The two best third-place teams will compete in a CONCACAF home-and-away, total-goals playoff in November 2029. The winner advances to FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs for a chance to secure the seventh berth.
Hosts and Current Qualifiers
The 2030 World Cup expansion from 32 to 48 teams allowed CONCACAF to double its automatic spots. The United States, Mexico, and Canada earned automatic berths as co-hosts. Curaçao, Haiti, and Panama secured their spots through qualifying.
Jamaica still has a chance to earn a seventh berth next month through playoffs against New Caledonia and Congo.
Additionally, CONCACAF confirmed that the 2027 Nations League semifinals and final will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
