Hosts USA, Canada and Mexico qualified automatically. The final round then delivered two remarkable stories and one redemption: Curaçao, Haiti and Panama took the three direct slots.
Curaçao became the smallest nation by population ever to reach a World Cup, surpassing Iceland (2018). Haiti ended a 52-year wait (their first since 1974) by beating Nicaragua 2-0, and Panama qualified for a second time after 2018. Jamaica and Suriname fell into the intercontinental play-offs and missed out.
The smallest-ever qualifier in numbers
Curacao last 12 months · 13 matches| Goals for/game | 2.0 |
| Goals against/game | 1.2 |
| Over 2.5 goals | 54% |
| Both teams score | 54% |
| Corners/game | 3.8 |
| Yellow cards/game | 1.5 |
| Shots on target/game | 5.5 |
What the numbers say
- a strong attack — 2.0 goals per game
- few corners — 3.8 per game
Source: ScanGoal database (national-team matches, last 12 months)
Qualifying in numbers — our database
| Matches analysed | 209 |
| Avg goals per game | 3.0 |
| Over 2.5 goals | 52% |
| Both teams score | 34% |
Source: North/Central America (CONCACAF) qualifiers in the ScanGoal database
CONCACAF group previews: USA (D), Canada (B), Mexico (A), Curaçao (E), Haiti (C), Panama (L). Source: NBC Sports.