The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has announced the allocation of six automatic qualifying spots for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, a seventh CONCACAF team will have the opportunity to qualify through an intercontinental playoff.

This announcement follows FIFA's decision to award the 2030 World Cup hosting duties primarily to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. As part of a unique centennial celebration, one match each will be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup in 1930, which was hosted and won by Uruguay. Due to their hosting roles, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will automatically qualify for the tournament from their respective confederations.

The expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, which will be implemented starting with the 2026 tournament, has allowed CONCACAF to double its automatic berths. The United States, Mexico, and Canada have already secured their places in the 2026 World Cup as co-hosts.

CONCACAF also detailed the qualifying process for the remaining teams vying for a spot in the 2030 World Cup. The qualifying stages are set to begin in September 2027, with teams ranked 14th through 35th participating in a home-and-home, total-goals first round. The 11 winners from this round will then advance to the second round, joining the top 13-ranked CONCACAF nations.

In the second round, the 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four, competing in a round-robin format with each nation playing six matches in October and November 2027, and March 2028. The top two teams from each group will then proceed to a 12-nation final round, scheduled for June 2028, and September and October 2029. These 12 teams will be split into three groups, where each nation will again play six matches. The top two teams from each of these final-round groups will secure their place at the 2030 World Cup.

A play-off will then be held in November 2029 between the two best third-placed teams from the final round groups, with the winner advancing to FIFA's intercontinental playoffs for a chance to secure the seventh possible spot for CONCACAF.

With the new format, the top 13 teams in the region will play at least 12 matches to reach the World Cup. This is less than the 14 games required to qualify for the 2022 event.

The announcement of the qualifying format signals the start of the long road to the 2030 World Cup for CONCACAF nations, setting the stage for intense competition and excitement in the years to come.