Costa Rica will face Trinidad & Tobago in 2026 World Cup qualifying for the Concacaf region after FIFA announced the draw for the second round on Thursday.
The Tacos, quarterfinalists 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 playoff 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 is one of the favorites to make it into the tournament while Honduras, Panama, Jamaica, El Salvador and Haiti — all second round top seeds — are also expected to challenge for the spots.
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