| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 22 March 2015 – 10 October 2017 |
| Teams | 35 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 112 |
| Goals scored | 319 (2.85 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,930,157 (17,234 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Carlos Ruiz(9 goals) |
← 2014 2022 → | |
| CONCACAF Qualifiers |
|---|
The North, Central American and Caribbean section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). 3.5 slots (3 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for CONCACAF teams.[1]
In a change to previous qualification tournaments for this confederation,[2] the first three rounds were played as knockout rounds, with both the fourth round and the final round (referred to as the "Hexagonal") played as group stages. The first round was played during the FIFA international dates of 23–31 March 2015.[3] CONCACAF announced the full format details on 12 January 2015.[4][5]
The United States failed to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986 after a surprise defeat by Trinidad and Tobago. As a result, Panama reached the World Cup for the first time in their history.
- ^ "Current allocation of FIFA World Cup confederation slots maintained". FIFA.com. 30 May 2015. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.
- ^ "Concacaf estrenará formato de eliminatoria; sigue el Hexagonal" [New format for Concacaf qualification - Hexagonal retained] (in Spanish). ESPN Mexico. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ "Canada begins 2018 World Cup qualification in June". Sportsnet. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ "CONCACAF to Hold Preliminary FIFA World Cup Qualifying Draw in Miami on January 15". CONCACAF. 12 January 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ^ "USMNT to start 2018 World Cup qualifying in November of 2014". Sports Illustrated. 12 January 2015.