Jamaica, the lone Caribbean nation already through to the final round of 2022 World Cup soccer qualification, will kick off its campaign in June 2021 against countries in North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
The Reggae Boyz have been placed, alongside four other countries - United States, Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica - in a group of eight CONCACAF teams.
They will be joined by three other teams, which will qualify from two earlier qualifying rounds. Caribbean nations Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Montserrat and U.S. Virgin Islands will play in Group A, alongside Central American nation El Salvador, in the first round. Suriname, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Aruba are in Group B with North American team Canada. Group C includes Curacao, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Cuba, with Guatemala of Central America. Dominican Republic, Barbados, Dominica and Anguilla, along with Central American nation Panama, are in Group D. Group E includes Haiti, Belize, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands, alongside Nicaragua of Central America.Group F features Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Puerto Rico and The Bahamas.
The teams in the first round are scheduled to begin qualification next month. Group winners will advance and two nations will be matched to play home and away games starting Mar. 2021. Each winning team will advance to the final round.
The top three from the final round earn an automatic World Cup place. The fourth place team will play-off with a team from another region to qualify.
