The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) qualifiers have reached their last two matches to be played. With the hosts, Canada, Mexico and the United States, already qualified, there are only three direct spots remaining, plus two places for the intercontinental playoff.
Group A is led by Panama and Suriname with six points each. Guatemala is following them closely with five points, while El Salvador, with three points, could qualify with a lot of luck.
Suriname and Panama are the favorites to qualify from their group. Because they do not have to play against each other, the outcome depends entirely on who wins both of their remaining games against Guatemala and El Salvador. Guatemala needs to win at least one of its two matches to have a chance of finishing in first place in the group. Meanwhile, El Salvador will have to win both of its matches and hope that neither Guatemala, Suriname, nor Panama exceeds nine points as that would leave El Salvador without a direct ticket to the World Cup.
The leader of Group B is Jamaica with nine points, followed closely by Curaçao with eight. A bit further behind is Trinidad and Tobago with five points, while Bermuda with zero points, is already definitely eliminated from the World Cup. What makes this group interesting is that Jamaica and Curaçao will face each other in the final match. If both teams win their fifth game, that last showdown will be a true “do-or-die” battle for the direct ticket to the World Cup.
In Group C, Honduras is in a privileged position with eight points. Costa Rica with six points, will try to snatch the top spot from them, while Haiti with five points, is the underdog of the group, relying on both Honduras and Costa Rica dropping points. Nicaragua is practically already eliminated from the World Cup. Even if Honduras wins their fifth match, if Costa Rica does the same, the final game where Honduras will have to visit Costa Rica will be decisive, as Honduras must avoid defeat to secure a direct ticket to the World Cup.
It’s worth mentioning that the two best second place teams among the three groups will have the chance to play in the intercontinental playoff and fight for a spot in the World Cup. Currently, the two best runners-up are Curaçao in first place and Costa Rica in second leaving Panama definitively eliminated.
With just two games remaining for each team, the CONCACAF qualifiers are entering their decisive stage. Every point matters as teams fight for the last World Cup spots and playoff chances, setting up thrilling final matches across all groups.
