MIAMI, Florida – The final countdown is on for the opening kickoff of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar where four Concacaf nations, Canada, Mexico, United States and Costa Rica, will try to achieve glory on football’s biggest stage.
Prior to the start of the tournament, here is a look back at how each nation qualified for Qatar 2022.
Canada
Of the four Concacaf nations in Qatar, Canada had the most arduous pathway to reach the tournament. Unlike the other three teams who were slotted directly into the Third and Final Round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying, Canada’s journey began back in the First Round.
Slotted into Group B, Canada rolled to victories in their first three matches, taking down Bermuda 5-1, Cayman Islands 11-0 and Aruba 7-0. That set up a dramatic final matchday against another unbeaten team in Suriname. Canada found their form quickly, pouring in four goals to capture a 4-0 win and a place in the two-legged Second Round.
In the Second Round, Canada were paired with a familiar foe in Haiti, the same side that eliminated Canada in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals. But this time the spoils belonged to Canada, with a 1-0 win in Haiti, followed by a 3-0 triumph in the return leg for a 4-0 aggregate victory.
Brimming with confidence, Canada hit the ground running in the eight-team Final Round, going unbeaten through the first 11 matchdays. Along the way they earned draws away to both Mexico and the United States, and then defeated each of those sides at home. It was the first WCQ win for Canada against the U.S. since 1980 and the first WCQ victory against Mexico since 1976.
The exclamation point came on Matchday 13 when Canada defeated Jamaica 4-0 in Toronto to clinch their first World Cup berth since 1986. They would finish atop the table in the Final Round with an 8W-4D-2L record, with 23 goals scored and just seven conceded.
Mexico
Mexico’s eighth straight World Cup appearance came courtesy of a Second-Place finish in the Third Round of CWCQ with an 8W-4D-2L record, with 17 goals scored and only eight conceded.
El Tricolor are historically very strong away from home in CWCQ and they showed that in spades in this Final Round of qualifying.
Among the highlighted results through the first six matchdays was a 1-0 win at Costa Rica, a 1-1 draw at Panama and a 2-0 win in El Salvador. Meanwhile, at home they kept an unbeaten record with wins against Jamaica and Honduras and a draw versus Canada.
Mexico’s only stumble came in Matchdays 7 and 8 with back-to-back defeats to the U.S. and Canada, but they rebounded nicely by collecting 14 points from their final six matches, including wins at Jamaica and at Honduras, to nail down their place at Qatar 2022.
United States
After missing out on Russia 2018, the U.S. had their sights set on a World Cup return, beginning in the Final Round of CWCQ. A very young U.S. team got tested early in a 0-0 draw at El Salvador and then a 1-1 home draw against Canada.
A pivotal moment came on Matchday 3 away to Honduras. Down 1-0 at halftime, the U.S. rallied to pick up a crucial 4-1 win. The U.S. would then go on to get the three points in home dates with Jamaica and Costa Rica, which sandwiched a defeat at Panama.
Ricardo Pepi on the left and Brenden Aaronson scored for the United States' in their victory against Honduras at the Olympic Stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on September 8, 2021.
That became a recurring theme for the U.S. At home, they found their winning form, but they encountered trouble on the road. One of the best performances of the cycle was a 2-0 home win against rivals Mexico on Matchday 7.
The comforts of home were once again a factor in early 2022 with victories on home soil against El Salvador and Honduras, but a defeat at Canada. However, a draw away to Mexico and a decisive 5-1 home win over Panama on Matchday 13 was enough to ultimately seal their qualification to Qatar 2022 with a Third-Place finish in the Final Round table and a record of 7W-4D-3L, with 21 goals scored and 10 conceded.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s qualifying campaign will forever live in Concacaf lore for what the Ticos accomplished. It was essentially a tale of two qualifying campaigns. Through seven matchdays, Costa Rica only had six points and were in danger of being left behind in the eight-team group.
The turning point came on Matchday 8 at home against Honduras. A Gerson Torres goal in the final minute earned the Ticos a 2-1 win, setting in motion a run of results that will likely never be matched by another Concacaf side.
Over the course of the next seven matches and with 21 points at stake, Costa Rica earned an astounding 19 points with six wins and just one draw, including victories in their final four matches of the Final Round.
Costa Rica would finish in Fourth Place in the table with a 7W-4D-3L record, with 13 goals scored and eight conceded. By virtue of their Fourth-Place finish, Costa Rica advanced to the Inter-Confederation Play-Offs where they were matched with Oceania winners New Zealand.
The winning momentum stayed intact, as an early goal from FW Joel Campbell held up the rest of the way for a 1-0 Costa Rica win, giving Concacaf four teams in a World Cup for the first time since Brazil 2014.
