CONCACAF to Receive Six Direct World Cup Spots for 2030

The North and Central American and Caribbean soccer federation, CONCACAF, has confirmed that it will be awarded six automatic qualification places for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with the possibility of a seventh through a playoff route.

In a statement released on Friday, CONCACAF outlined its qualification plan for the expanded tournament, even though FIFA has yet to finalize and publish the exact allocation of spots for each regional federation. Leaders from South America’s governing body, CONMEBOL, have floated the idea of increasing the number of teams in the event to 64.

Qualifying Pathway

According to the CONCACAF schedule:

• Qualifying begins in September 2027, with teams ranked 14th to 35th playing home-and-away knockout ties.
• The 11 winners from that stage will then join the top 13 ranked CONCACAF sides in a group phase featuring six groups of four teams. These teams will play six matches across late 2027 and early 2028.
• The top two from each group will progress to a final qualification round in 2028 and 2029.
• From that final round, teams that finish as group winners and runners-up will secure one of the six direct berths to the 2030 World Cup.

Road to Potential Playoffs

In addition to those six direct spots, the two best third-placed teams will compete in an internal CONCACAF playoff later in 2029. The winner of that matchup could qualify for an intercontinental playoff, offering a chance to earn a place at the tournament through one final hurdle.

Background on World Cup Expansion

The 2030 edition of the World Cup will be hosted across Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with additional matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. After FIFA expanded the tournament from 32 teams (used in 2022) to 48 teams this year, CONCACAF doubled its direct berths to six.

The United States, Mexico and Canada already have guaranteed places as co-hosts, while Curaçao, Haiti and Panama earned qualification in the current cycle. Jamaica also retains a chance at progression via upcoming playoff matches.