– 12 national teams have advanced to the Final Round
– The official draw was scheduled for June 12
– Pots determined based on FIFA Rankings
Following a promising start in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers last year, Team Saint Lucia faced setbacks, undermining their progress with a series of disappointing performances in the latter rounds.
On home turf, they successfully overcame Sint Martin, Curacao, and Barbados, but their form declined significantly in the return leg, conceding over 12 goals in heavy defeats.
This year, Team Saint Lucia approached the qualifiers with renewed determination but were thwarted by a formidable Curacao squad that dominated them with a solid 4-0 victory on June 6.
Despite their hopes for a World Cup qualifier spot fading, Saint Lucia managed to secure a 2-1 victory against Barbados on June 10, finishing third in their group.
While the players, coaching staff, and devoted fans lament the missed opportunity, Team Saint Lucia must regroup and strengthen their resolve to secure a World Cup berth in future competitions.
In the wake of the Second Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, crucial details about the Third and Final Round have been confirmed.
This stage will feature 12 teams – the winners and runners-up from each Second-Round group, split into three groups of four. The qualified nations are Bermuda, Costa Rica, Curacao, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 for Concacaf Member Associations involves three rounds, which commenced in March 2024.
The first stage saw the four lowest-ranked teams compete for two berths in the Second Round.The British Virgin Islands and Anguilla emerged victorious, advancing to the next phase.
The Second Round included the winners from Round One and the remaining 28 FIFA Member Associations, excluding the three World Cup hosts: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Matches commenced in June of last year, culminating this week, with each team playing a total of four matches-two at home and two away. The group winners and runners-up, totaling 12 teams, progressed to the Final Round.
The match schedule for the Final Round will be released following the official draw.
El Salvador Advances to the Final Round
Additionally, El Salvador secured its spot in the Final Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026, concluding the Second Round in June 2025 with matches in Groups E and F.
Group E:
– Dominican Republic 5, Dominica 0
The Dominican Republic dominated, with Dorny Romero scoring first in the 16th minute, followed by goals from Jimmy Kaparos, Noah Dollenmayer, Edarlyn Reyes, and Peter González.
– Jamaica 3, Guatemala 0
Jamaica topped Guatemala, with Jon Russell scoring in the 26th minute, Warner Brown adding two more goals, securing first place in the group for Jamaica.
Group F:
– Puerto Rico 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 Puerto Rico won with goals from Leandro Antonetti and Steven Echevarria, despite a penalty save by their goalkeeper.
– El Salvador 1, Suriname 1
El Salvador and Suriname drew, with Justin Lonwijk scoring for Suriname and Brayan Gil equalizing for El Salvador, allowing La Selecta to advance to the Final Round.