Overview
- CONCACAF’s Final Phase kicks off September 4–5 with 12 teams in three groups of four vying for three direct 2026 World Cup berths.
- Costa Rica, coached by Miguel Herrera, opens away to Nicaragua in Group C, which also features Honduras and Haiti.
- Guatemala, led by Luis Fernando Tena, is grouped with El Salvador, Suriname and Panama for home-and-away fixtures through November 18.
- Herrera’s Costa Rica staff includes Mexican assistants Álvaro Galindo and Óscar Escobar, physical trainer José Rangel, and sporting director Ignacio Hierro.
- Nicaragua’s setup features Mexican assistant Mario García and director of national teams Javier Salinas, while earlier Mexican-linked projects in Antigua and Barbuda and Belize exited before this round.