MIAMI (AP) — Bermuda, Curaçao, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago were drawn into an all-island Group B on Thursday night for the third round of World Cup qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Suriname were put in Group A, and Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua in Group C.
A double round-robin will take place in September, October and November, and the three groups winners will qualify for the expanded 48-nation field next year. The region has a minimum six berths, with Canada, Mexico and the United States qualifying automatically as co-hosts.
The top two second-place teams advance to six-team playoffs next March that include the No. 7 team from South America, No. 9 team from Asia, the No. 10 team from Africa and New Caledonia, which is the No. 2 team from Oceania. There will be semifinal single legs involving the four lowest-ranked playoff nations, with the winners advancing to single leg finals that will produce two qualifiers.
Europe has 16 direct qualifying berths, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six and Oceania one.
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The Associated Press
