MIAMI, Florida – The Draw for the Second Round of Concacaf Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup revealed some very interesting and intriguing match-ups across the six groups, with plenty of World Cup Qualifying and other Concacaf tournament history between teams.
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One of the main things that stands out in Group A, which pits Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Bermuda and Cayman Islands, is that three of the five teams have at one point competed in League A of the Concacaf Nations League since its inception in 2019-20.
Honduras are a mainstay of League A, featuring in the trop category in every edition, while both Cuba and Bermuda participated in League A in 2019-20. Cuba then made a triumphant return to League A in 2022-23 and will once again play in League A in the 2024-25 edition.
As far as World Cup Qualifying is concerned, Honduras and Cuba have squared off in three previous instances, with the Catrachos winning all three matches.
There will be plenty of familiarity in Group B among Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Bahamas.
In the First Round of Concacaf WCQ for Qatar 2022, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Bahamas were all drawn into the same group, and it was Saint Kitts and Nevis taking first place. The Sugar Boyz finished a point ahead of the Soca Warriors, whose 0-0 draw to the Bahamas ultimately secured the top spot for Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Meanwhile, there have been many WCQ match-ups between Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica, with the Ticos emerging victorious in 13 games, while the other three resulted in draws.
Group C opponents Haiti and Curacao have also met in WCQ 16 times, with Haiti winning nine matches, Curacao triumphing in four and the other three ending in draws. Saint Lucia, Barbados and Aruba round out the group and will enjoy first-time meetings in WCQ against one another.
Panama will see some familiar foes in Group D, which includes Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat and Belize in addition to the Canaleros. Panama have played Nicaragua in four qualifiers and won all four, while they also have a perfect record in two meetings with Belize.
Panama did face Guyana in the group stage of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, winning 4-2, while Montserrat were 1-0 winners against Belize in CNL Qualifying in 2018.
One of the most anticipated matches in Group E will be the encounter between Jamaica and Guatemala. Those two sides clashed in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup in which Jamaica came away with a narrow 1-0 win. They have also played twice in previous WCQs, with each side winning a match.
Those two teams are joined by Dominican Republic, Dominica and the winner of the British Virgin Islands-US Virgin Islands Playoff. It will be déjà vu all over again for Dominican Republic and Dominica after their duel in the First Round of WCQ for Qatar 2022 when the Dominican Republic edged out a 1-0 victory in Santo Domingo.
El Salvador have already been acquainted with three of their opponents from Group F in previous WCQ and if history is any indication, the Cuscatlecos will fancy their chances of topping the group. In nine all-time meetings with Suriname in WCQ, El Salvador have picked up eight wins and lost just once.
They have also been involved in two WCQ contests each with Puerto Rico and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, winning both against the Boricuas and Vincy Heat. The winner of the Turks and Caicos Islands-Anguilla playoff will advance to Group F, and El Salvador have also recorded two wins against Anguilla in WCQ.
