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The United States, Mexico and other CONCACAF countries will play at least four three-game windows, with FIFA upholding its decision to extend the men’s World Cup qualifying round schedule on Friday.
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The decision was made to accommodate the suspension of several international windows in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a CONCACAF statement. Normally two qualifying matches are played in an international window.
Five teams – the United States, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica and Costa Rica – have already made it to the final octagonal stage due to their FIFA rankings. They will be joined by the three winners of the 30-nation first qualifying round, which will be played in March and June 2021.
Four of the next five windows – September 2021, October 2021, January 2022, and March 2022 – will see the last eight teams play three games each. It is not until November 2021 that the teams will play two matches.
For the United States, the September window could include a rematch with the 2018 campaign spoiler, Trinidad and Tobago, should the Caribbean nation come out of the first round.
The United States and Mexico will face off in November 2021, and then again in March 2022.
The top three teams of the Octogonal will then qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while the fourth, ranked fourth, will play intercontinental qualifiers for a chance at the tournament.
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