The 2026 CONCACAF Women’s Championship will bring a familiar feel to fans of women’s football.
With qualifying concluded on Saturday, five of the six teams entering the tournament return from the 2022 W Championship. The only new face is El Salvador, which defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 on Friday to reach the finals for the first time.
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Like the last edition, Team USA and Team Canada bid farewell to the W Championship. The event is the final round of World Cup qualifying for the region and will also qualify the team for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The campaign is scheduled to run from late November to early December 2026.
Which teams will advance to the 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifiers?
The top finishers of the six groups qualified for the finals, but no team qualified for the final match day. However, the favorites were basically able to get the job done and lock in a W Championship spot once again.
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Mexico went into their final day match against Puerto Rico knowing that a win or a draw would see Mexico advance, but a defeat would end their hopes of advancing to Brazil. The Tigers’ Alexia Delgado came on in the 11th minute to relieve pressure as Mexico won 6-0. Veteran midfielder Charlene Corral scored two late goals to secure her spot as the top scorer in the qualifying round.
Costa Rica will also be eliminated with a loss on Saturday night. Lastikas, who were hosting Guatemala, also scored an early goal, a thunderbolt from Gloriana Villalobos, and used the momentum to beat Champions 3-0.
Without key players Marta Cox and Lenes Cedeño due to long-term knee injuries, Panama performed well elsewhere to return to the final round. Erica Arauz scored twice in the 3-0 win over Cuba on Friday.
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Which top soccer stars are closer to the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics?
Jamaica’s victory confirms that Khadija “Bunny” Shaw will continue to compete. The Manchester City striker scored with a powerful header in the 2-0 home win over Guyana to send the Reggae Girls into the final round. The Jamaican team reached the 2023 Women’s World Cup and qualified in the group match between Australia and New Zealand.
Haiti is also a participant in the Women’s World Cup and qualified for the women’s tournament with a 1-1 draw with the Dominican Republic on Friday. Grenadiers are without superstar attacker Melchie Dumornay as she is injured at club OL Lyonnes.
Where will the 2026 CONCACAF Championship be held?
CONCACAF has yet to announce a host venue for the 2026 tournament.
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The last edition of the tournament was held in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, with both professional teams playing at stadiums in the Monterrey area. The Mexican women’s football team failed to achieve home advantage and lost to Jamaica, Haiti and the United States in the group stage, missing out on the World Cup for the second consecutive time.
In 2026, the competition format will change and participants will directly enter the knockout stage. The winners of the four quarter-finals will qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, while the losers will compete for the right to enter the inter-league play-offs.
The top three teams in the tournament will qualify for the 2028 Olympics. If the host United States reaches the semifinals, all three semifinalists will be eligible to compete.
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: CONCACAF Women’s Soccer Championship venue settings
