NEW YORK (Friday, October 19, 2012) – Following a meeting today of the Member Associations participating in the Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced they have reached an agreement on the establishment of a final schedule for the hexagonal round of the qualifying games.
After long discussions among representatives from Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and the United States, Member Associations came to a consensual agreement that the best option for establishing a final match list was going to a FIFA draw to conclude the process as originally planned. This draw will be conducted within the next 30 days, subject to final decision from FIFA.
The Final Round will start on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, and must conclude by October 15, 2013. Each of the six teams will play the others in the group twice, home and away, for a total of 10 matches apiece. Upon completion of the round, the top three finishers qualify automatically for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Members have emphasized their commitment to fair play and reciprocal courtesy among all Federations.
The fourth-place team will advance to a two-leg intercontinental play-off against the first-place team from the Oceania Football Confederation on November of 2013. The winner of that series will also advance to Brazil.
For the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Honduras, Mexico and the United States qualified from CONCACAF.
