MIAMI — The governing organization for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean has announced that it will secure six automatic qualifying positions for the 2030 World Cup, with an additional spot available through an intercontinental playoff.
Concacaf made this declaration on Friday, although FIFA has yet to reveal the allocation of spots for each confederation, and the president of the South American confederation, CONMEBOL, has suggested further expanding the tournament to include 64 teams.
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FIFA’s media department indicated in an email that it is investigating whether the allocation for confederations has been finalized.
Concacaf stated on Friday that the qualifying process will commence in September 2027, featuring teams ranked 14th to 35th competing in a home-and-home, total-goals first round.
The 11 victors will progress to the second round alongside the top 13-ranked nations. The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four, with each nation playing six matches in October and November 2027, as well as March 2028.
The leading two teams from each group will move on to a final round consisting of 12 nations, scheduled for June 2028, and September and October 2029. This final round will feature three groups, with each nation playing six matches. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the 2030 World Cup, which will primarily take place in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with one match each in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The top two third-place teams will advance to a Concacaf home-and-home, total-goals playoff in November 2029, with the winner proceeding to FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs.
With the World Cup expanding from 32 teams in 2022 to 48 this year, Concacaf has increased its automatic berths to six. The United States, Mexico, and Canada received automatic spots as co-hosts, while Curaçao, Haiti, and Panama secured their places through qualifying.
Jamaica has an opportunity to claim a seventh berth next month in playoffs against New Caledonia and Congo.
Concacaf also announced that the semifinals and final of its 2027 Nations League will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
