The Albany Gazette - Costa Rica drawn with Trinidad in World Cup qualifying

The Central Americans, quarter-finalists at Brazil in 2014, are aiming to reach the World Cup for the seventh time while the Soca Boys are seeking their second appearance after the 2006 campaign in Germany.

The United States, Canada and Mexico have already been handed places in the 2026 tournament as co-hosts and three more automatic berths are available through the qualifying process.

In addition, the two next best teams at the end of the process will enter FIFA's Play-Off Tournament for a chance of increasing CONCACAF's representation to a record eight nations.

As well as facing each other, Costa Rica and Trinidad will also be up against St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Bahamas in Group B. The teams will play each other once with the top two teams progressing to the final round.

During the final-round draw, the 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four teams. Each team will play every other team in their group home and away.

Final-round matches will be played during the FIFA international match windows of September, October and November 2025.

Costa Rica are one of the favorites to make it into the tournament while Honduras, Panama, Jamaica, El Salvador and Haiti are also expected to challenge for the spots.

The World Cup finals will be begin in June, 2026 in 16 cities across the three North American countries.

CONCACAF Preliminary Draw (Round Two) – FIFA World Cup 26

Group A: Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands

Group B: Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Bahamas

Group C: Haiti, Curacao, St. Lucia, Barbados, Aruba

Group D: Panama, Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat, Belize

Group E: Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Winner play-off 2 (British Virgin Islands or US Virgin Islands)

Group F: El Salvador, Suriname, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Winner play-off 1 (Turks and Caicos Islands or Anguilla)

(T.Wright--TAG)