Listed below are the dates and results for the tournament qualification. A total of 17 CONCACAF teams entered the competition. Honduras withdrew before the matches were played. The remaining 16 teams were divided into 3 zones, based on geographical considerations, as follows:
*North American Zone had 3 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner and runner-up would advance to the Final Round.
*Central American Zone had 4 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner and runner-up would advance to the Final Round.
*Caribbean Zone had 9 teams, which would be divided into 2 groups of 4 or 5 teams. The teams played in a knockout tournament, with matches on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
CONCACAF North American Zone
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Canada and United States finished level on points and
goal difference
Goal difference, goal differential or points difference is a form of tiebreaker used to rank sport teams which finish on equal points in a league competition. Either "goal difference" or "points difference" is used, depending on whether matches a ...
, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.
Mexico and Canada advanced to the tournament.
CONCACAF Central American Zone
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Guatemala and El Salvador advanced to the tournament.
CONCACAF Caribbean Zone
Group A
First round
Suriname advanced to the Second Round.
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The
aggregate score
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly kn ...
was tied 2–2, and a play-off was played to decide who would advance to the Second Round.
Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the Second Round, via the play-off.
Second round
The
aggregate score
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly kn ...
was tied 3–3, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the tournament.
Suriname advanced to the tournament, via the play-off.
Group B
Preliminary round
Haiti advanced to the First Round.
First round
Haiti advanced to the Second Round.
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Cuba advanced to the Second Round.
Second round
The
aggregate score
There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly kn ...
was tied 2–2, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.
Haiti advanced to the tournament, via the play-off.
Goalscorers
;6 goals
*
Emmanuel Sanon
Emmanuel "Manno" Sanon (25 June 1951 – 21 February 2008) was a Haitian professional footballer who played as a striker. He starred in the Haiti national team winning the 1973 CONCACAF Championship. Haiti qualified for the finals of the 1974 ...
;5 goals
*
Óscar Enrique Sánchez Oscar or Oskar is a masculine given name of Irish origin.
Etymology
The name is derived from two elements in Irish: the first, ''os'', means "deer"; the second element, ''car'', means "loving" or "friend", thus "deer-loving one" or "friend of deer" ...
*
Luis Ramírez Zapata
Luis Baltazar Ramírez Zapata (born 6 January 1954) is a retired Salvadoran footballer.
Club career
Nicknamed ''El Pelé'', he spent nearly 20 years playing for Salvadoran club Águila. He started with Águila, after being recommended by Bra ...
*
Roy George
Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin.
In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise ...
;4 goals
*
Pierre Bayonne
Pierre Bayonne (born 11 June 1949) is a retired Haitian footballer. Bayonne, formerly a member of Violette Athletic Club, competed with the Haiti national football team at the 1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup was the tenth FIFA ...
Steve David
Steve David (born 11 March 1951 in Point Fortin, Trinidad) is a Trinidadian former North American Soccer League and international football player.
Club career
David began his professional career with Police in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1974, h ...
Selvin Pennant
Selvin Valentín Pennant Taylor (born 4 January 1950) is a Guatemalan former footballer and one of that country's most prolific goalscorers ever. He played for Deportes Aviación in the Chilean First Division for three years, and was a member ...
;2 goals
*
Bob Bolitho
Robert "Bob" Bolitho (born July 20, 1952, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a former Canadian national team, North American Soccer League and Canadian Soccer League player. He is of Cornish descent.
Club career
Bolitho played as a te ...
Bob Lenarduzzi
Robert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC (born May 1, 1955) is a former North American Soccer League player, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and Olympic soccer teams. He is currently club liaison for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He ...
Andrés Roldán
Andrés Faustino Roldán Cordero (born 28 February 1950) is a Cuban former footballer who competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics and in the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Club career
Born in Cienfuegos Province, he played for Azucareros and Cienfuegos, wh ...
Julio César Anderson
Julio César Anderson Quiroga (27 November 1947 – 7 August 2021) was a Guatemalan professional football striker who played the majority of his career for C.S.D. Municipal, in the Liga Mayor A, the top tier in the country. He was on the sq ...
*
Leonardo McNish
Leonardo McNish Christie (14 October 1946 – 4 December 2021) was a Guatemalan footballer who played as a defender for Malacateco, Marquense, Tipografía Nacional, Suchitepéquez, Municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrat ...
*
Felix McDonald
Felix McDonald (born 26 June 1954) is a Guatemalan former footballer. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ...
Vibert Butts
Vibert Durdy Butts is a former Guyanese soccer player best known for scoring Guyana's first-ever World Cup-qualifying goal during a 1976 match against Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl ...
Jean Marie Jean Baptiste
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* Je ...
Luis Ernesto Tapia
Luis Ernesto Tapia Pérez (born October 21, 1944 in Panama) is a retired football forward, who is regarded as the best player ever in Panama.
He was active on the Panama national football team between 1963 and 1979.
Club career
A native of Barr ...
Anthony Douglas
Anthony Douglas (born 22 November 1985, in Nottingham) is a British former short track speed skater who competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Douglas was a member of the British team that finished sixth in the 5000 meter relay.
Achievements
...
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, small ...
)
*
Allan Wellmann
Allan Kenny Wellman (born 26 May 1954) is a former Guatemalan football player.
Club career
Wellmann played thirteen seasons for C.S.D. Comunicaciones, making his debut in 1973 at age 19, and five seasons with Aurora F.C.
He became a club dire ...
(playing against
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
qualification
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
qualification
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...