MIAMI, Florida – This Friday marks the start of 2024 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship Qualifying, set to take place from February 23 – March 2 among 27 teams across five different venues in Central America and the Caribbean.
The teams have been divided into three groups of five and three groups of four, with the winner of each group advancing to the 2024 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship to be held later this summer.
Group A will take place at the Estadio Nacional in Managua, Nicaragua, and features Cuba, Nicaragua, Belize, British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.
Cuba headline the group and are the only team from the group to have qualified previously for a FIFA Under-20 Men’s World Cup, doing so in 2013.
Cuba have also faced all their Group A opponents in either prior CMU20 or CMU20Q competition and have won every match. Cuba’s best finish in a CMU20 was Second Place in 1970 and 1974.
Meanwhile, group hosts Nicaragua finished in the Round of 16 in the 2022 CMU20 in Honduras and will look to make a statement in front of their home fans. Belize, BVI and Anguilla will all be on the hunt for strong performances.
Group B is an intriguing group with El Salvador, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, Guyana and Turks and Caicos Islands, with the action set to take place at the ABFA Technical Centre in Piggots, Antigua and Barbuda.
El Salvador reached their only Under-20 Men’s World Cup at Turkey 2013 and will be hoping to take the first step toward a second World Cup, but host nation Antigua and Barbuda will have the crowd’s backing and is sure to make for an exciting atmosphere.
The meeting between Guyana and Suriname is full of promise as well. The two sides have met in either CMU20 or CMU20Q play six previous times, with Suriname holding a 4W-1D-1L edge.
The games will also give a new generation of Turks and Caicos Islands players a great opportunity for experience.
Guatemala head up Group C, which will be at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City. Guatemala will be joined by Curacao, Aruba, Saint Martin and Barbados.
Guatemala have two Under-20 Men’s World Cup appearances to their name, doing so at Colombia 2011 and then again last summer at Argentina 2023. The Chapines reached the semifinals of the CMU20 and begin the journey to try to reach another World Cup.
Curacao and Aruba have met eight times at the U20 level, with Aruba holding a 4W-2D-2L edge in the series. Saint Martin and Barbados will be hoping to qualify for the Championship for the first time since USA 2018.
Canada will be the team to watch in Group D, along with Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, with all matches to be played at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Canada participated in eight Under-20 Men’s World Cups and will be searching for their first appearance since 2007. Canada are also two-time champions of the CMU20 in 1986 and 1996.
Trinidad and Tobago have been to two Under-20 Men’s World Cups, in 1991 and 2009, and were CMU20 runners-up in 1990. Vincy Heat and Dominica each last reached the CMU20 at USA 2018.
Both Group E and Group F will take place at the SKNFA Technical Center in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Haiti, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Cayman Islands make up Group E. Haiti, Puerto Rico and Saint Kitts and Nevis all reached the CMU20 at Honduras 2022, while Cayman Islands’ previous participation was at USA 2018. Each of the four nations will be pursuing a first-ever Under-20 Men’s World Cup qualification.
Rounding out the tournament is Group F with Jamaica, Bermuda, Grenada and Martinique.
Jamaica are on the hunt for their first Under-20 Men’s World Cup since Argentina 2001 and were CMU20 quarterfinalists at Honduras 2022.
Bermuda, Grenada and Martinique all last appeared in a CMU20 at USA 2018, with each side finishing in the group stage.
