A new schedule for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers will
\u200bfeature Concacaf matches starting in March 2021 as part of a revised
\u200binternational path for Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team. The new start date
\u200bwas announced after Concacaf and FIFA jointly agreed that the Concacaf
\u200bQualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will not be played in the FIFA
\u200bmatch windows of October or November 2020.
Many parts of the region continue to have very challenging
\u200bpublic health situations, which was a key factor in this decision.
\u200bAdditionally, several countries across the confederation have travel
\u200brestrictions and quarantine requirements, which would make international
\u200bfootball involving 30 national teams extremely difficult.
Canada have already been drawn into an initial round
\u200balongside Group B opponents Aruba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Suriname. The
\u200bschedule and locations for these matches will be announced at a later date,
\u200bwith health and safety a priority before any international travel. As always,
\u200bCanada Soccer will continue to closely monitor all COVID-19 developments in
\u200bconsultation with the Public Health Agency of Canada and relevant governing bodies
\u200bthrough the Canada Soccer Sport Medicine Committee to ensure the safety of all
\u200bplayers and staff.
“Canada Soccer continues to prioritize the safety for all of
\u200bour players and staff throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic,” said Peter
\u200bMontopoli, Canada Soccer General Secretary. “With the gradual return of
\u200bdomestic football and our players back in action in leagues around the world,
\u200bwe are hopeful that we can soon have our players together again on the pitch
\u200bfor international football once it is safe to do so.”
There are 30 Concacaf nations scheduled to compete in the
\u200bfirst round from which only the six group winners will advance to a second
\u200bround of head-to-head knockout series. From the first round, the Group B winner
\u200bwill face the Group E winner in a second-round, head-to-head series, with the
\u200bmatch dates and locations to be announced at a later date. The winner from that
\u200bsecond round then advances to the Concacaf Final Round of eight nations in
\u200bwhich each nation will play each opponent twice (once at home and once on the
\u200broad).
CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM
\u200bCanada Soccer’s Men’s National Team, two-time Concacaf champions, were one of only four nations that have finished top-six across all three of Concacaf major tournaments across the past three years: fifth place in Concacaf Nations League A and sixth place at both the 2017 and 2019 Concacaf Gold Cups. In 2019 against Concacaf’s top three nations, Canada earned a victory against USA in Concacaf Nations League as well as eliminated both Mexico (U-15) and Costa Rica (U-17) in Concacaf youth competitions.