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World Cup qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean took shape with the draw for a 30-nation second round that will narrow the field to 12 finalists for three automatic berths to join the United States, Mexico and Canada in the 2026 tournament. The region's three largest nations received automatic slots as co-hosts of the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament. Under the format announced last February, CONCACAF's lowest-ranked teams play home-and-home series this March to reach the second round, with Anguilla facing the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands meeting the British Virgin Islands.
