MIAMI, Florida – Concacaf Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2026 kick off this Friday with the first leg matches of the First Round.
Anguilla vs. Turks and Caicos Islands
The action starts with Anguilla hosting Turks and Caicos Islands at the Raymond E. Guishard Stadium in The Valley, Anguilla. This will be the first ever meeting between the two sides.
Anguilla are in pursuit of their first ever victory in World Cup Qualifying after having lost 11 consecutive matches.
In recent years in the Concacaf Nations League, Anguilla have made great strides, including earning a pair of draws in League C in the 2022-23 edition in which Jonathan Guishard and Lamar Carpenter found the back of the net.
While they were unable to get on the scoresheet in the 2023-24 CNL, they will no doubt be bolstered by a strong home crowd and will try to secure a solid first leg result.
Turks and Caicos Islands do have a World Cup Qualifying victory to their name, coming in 2008 when they defeated Saint Lucia 2-1 on the road to South Africa 2010.
Of late, Turks and Caicos Islands have proven to be a dangerous side in CNL play. In the 2022-23 edition, they finished with a 3W-0D-3L record, with 10 goals scored, while earning a draw in the 2023-24 tournament with three goals.
Billy Forbes leads the team in scoring all-time the CNL with 10 goals and figures to be in the mix for the visitors on Friday.
US Virgin Islands vs. British Virgin Islands
The second match of the day pits US Virgin Islands against British Virgin Islands at the Bethlehem Soccer Stadium in Upper Bethlehem, USVI.
There is plenty of history between these two teams, with seven previous match-ups. BVI narrowly lead the series 3W-2D-2L.
However, in their lone World Cup Qualifying series, USVI emerged victorious 4-1 on aggregate with a 2-0 home win and a 2-1 away victory in Concacaf Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 2014.
BVI will be feeling very confident heading into this match-up with a dynamic trio in the form of Tyler Forbes, Luka Chalwell and Troy Caesar. Those three have combined for nine career Concacaf Nations League goals, including three for Chalwell in the 2023-24 CNL.
BVI finished 1W-2D-1L in their CNL group and are poised to take a step forward in qualifying.
The USVI are looking to snap a five-match losing streak in qualifying and will be leaning on players like Naqwan Henry, Rakeem Joseph and Quinn Farrell for goal-scoring inspiration.
