Six Central American national teams, including Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras, will seek to strengthen their chances of reaching the 2026 North American World Cup this week as the second round of the CONCACAF qualifiers resumes. With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, three direct spots and two playoff positions are up for grabs in CONCACAF, in addition to automatic qualification for hosts Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Since the region’s powerhouses already have their tickets secured, this has opened the door to an unprecedented battle among Caribbean and Central American teams. The penultimate matchday of the second phase kicks off this Wednesday. The final round will be played next Tuesday, June 10, when the twelve teams advancing to the decisive round—scheduled between September and November—will be determined.
Honduras One Step Ahead
Honduras, already well-positioned to advance, will visit the Cayman Islands on Saturday and host Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday. “These will be the three most important months in the last eleven years for Honduran football,” said the team’s coach, Colombian Reinaldo Rueda. With three World Cup appearances (1982, 2010, 2014), Honduras leads Group A with six points, followed by Cuba and the Cayman Islands with three each. Antigua and Barbuda and Bermuda have one point apiece.
Costa Rica Eyes the Next Stage
Costa Rica, a consistent World Cup participant since Brazil 2014, will visit the Bahamas on Saturday and finish the round at home on Tuesday against Trinidad and Tobago. Under Mexican coach Miguel “El Piojo” Herrera, Costa Rica also has a strong chance of advancing, leading Group B with six points. Trinidad follows with four.
Also in the group are Saint Kitts and Nevis (3), Grenada (1), and the Bahamas (0).
Panama’s World Cup Dream
Panama, whose rising football profile saw it qualify for Russia 2018, will play away against Belize on Saturday and host Nicaragua on Tuesday. “We have to go all in, with a winning mindset and respect for our opponents,” said Panama’s coach, Spanish-Danish Thomas Christiansen, on Tuesday.
Panama and Nicaragua are tied at the top of Group D with six points. Other teams include Guyana (3), Belize, and Montserrat (both with zero points). Nicaragua, never before qualified for a World Cup, is coached by Chilean Marco Antonio Figueroa.
Other Contenders: Guatemala and El Salvador
Guatemala (yet to make a World Cup appearance) and El Salvador are also in the mix. Guatemala leads Group E with six points, tied with Jamaica. The group also includes the Dominican Republic (3), and Dominica and the British Virgin Islands (0). Guatemala hosts the Dominican Republic on Friday and finishes away against Jamaica on Tuesday.
Final Round Approaching
El Salvador, a World Cup participant in 1970 (Mexico) and 1982 (Spain), will visit Anguilla on Saturday and host Suriname on Tuesday. Suriname leads Group F with six points, followed by Puerto Rico and El Salvador (both with four). Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Anguilla have not scored any points.
In Group C, composed entirely of Caribbean teams, the leaders are Curaçao and Haiti, both with six points. The remaining teams are Saint Lucia (1), Aruba (1), and Barbados (0). The final round group draw will take place on June 12.
In that decisive phase, the 12 remaining teams will be split into three groups of four. The winners of each group will earn a direct ticket to the World Cup, while the two best second-place teams will go to the playoffs.
