On February 6, 2026, Concacaf announced its World Cup qualifying format for the next cycle, with the 2030 World Cup set to be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco with games also in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. The confederation is planning its qualifying process around a 48-team World Cup, under the expectation that the region will receive six direct qualification spots and one intercontinental playoff berth, allowing up to seven Concacaf teams to qualify.
FIFA has not yet formally confirmed confederation berth allocations for the 2030 tournament, but Concacaf’s format mirrors the expanded structure used for the 2026 World Cup.
Participating Teams
All 35 FIFA-affiliated Concacaf nations participate in World Cup qualifying. While all don’t start at the same time, the potential is there for any team in the region to qualify for the 2030 World Cup.
Round One: Knockout Stage (September–October 2027)
- 22 teams participate — specifically, those ranked 14 through 35 in the FIFA World Rankings.
- Teams are paired into 11 matchups.
- Each matchup is played over two legs (home and away).
- 11 winners advance.
This round trims the field before the introduction of group play.
Round Two: Group Stage (Late 2027 – Early 2028)
- 24 teams total.
- The 11 winners from Round One.
- The teams ranked int he top 13 in Concacaf’s ranking of national teams. Concacaf uses its own ranking, separate from FIFA.
- Teams are split into six groups of four.
- Home-and-away play within each group.
- Each team plays six matches (three home, three away).
- Group winners and runners-up advance to the Final Round.
At the conclusion of this stage, 12 teams remain.
Final Round: No more Hexagonal or Octagonal (Mid-2028 & Late 2029)
- 12 teams — the six group winners and six runners-up from Round Two.
- Divided into three groups of four teams.
- Same round-robin style: each team plays six matches (home and away).
This new way of determining the teams that qualify means that regional rivals may not play qualifiers against each other. The old days of the hexagonal and later octagonal final rounds are now history.
Qualification results:
- Top two from each group (6 teams) qualify directly for the 2030 World Cup.
- Third-place teams (best two) move to a Play-In for another chance.
Play-In: Last Shot at the World Cup (November 2029)
- The two best 3rd-place teams from the final round enter a home-and-away knockout series.
- The winner advances to the FIFA Intercontinental Play-Offs for one additional World Cup berth.
What This Means
Concacaf offers six direct spots for 2030 through this format with a seventh spot is possible via the Intercontinental Play-Off pathway. This is the kind of calendar that rewards planning, depth, and consistency — not luck. And because it’s tied to the four-year cycle that includes more Nations League and Gold Cup play, the international landscape in this region never really stops.
