The Cayman Islands national men’s football team will kick off its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign this June in a home game against Antigua and Barbuda.
The news was confirmed following the group stage preliminary draw which took place on 25 Jan., where it was announced that Cayman will join Honduras, Cuba, Bermuda, and Antigua and Barbuda in Group A of the CONCACAF qualifiers.
Teams were drawn into six groups of five teams and will play single round-robin matches – two home and two away – with the six group winners and six group runners-up advancing to the third round.
In that round, the 12 teams will be drawn into three groups of four teams. They will play double round-robin home-and-away matches, with the three group winners qualifying for the World Cup. The two best-ranked runners-up will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.
The last time Cayman played in the qualifiers, in 2021, they did not win a match, drawing once and losing three times, including a 11-0 drubbing by Canada – the worst recorded score in the national team’s history.
This time around, Cayman will be looking to improve, with hopes of pulling off the unthinkable – qualifying for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Following their game against Antigua and Barbuda on 8 June, Cayman will then face Cuba on 11 June. In 2025, they will finish their remaining fixtures, playing Bermuda on 4 June and Honduras on 7 June.
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