FIFA confirmed that Costa Rica and Panama will co-host the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in August and that one extra slot has been awarded to Concacaf. This means that the confederation had to make some changes to its World Cup Qualifying tournament, which will be hosted in the Dominican Republic between February 22 – March 8.
Concacaf officials determined that Costa Rica and Panama will automatically qualify to the World Cup, meaning these two nations will not participate in the 2020 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship anymore. As a result, that additional slot will allow two other Caribbean, central or north American nations an opportunity to qualify for the World Cup depending on the results at the 2020 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship.
Guyana, which was the top ranked team in qualifying Group A, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, which was the top ranked team in qualifying Group B, will replace Costa Rica and Panama for the group stage of the final championship. Here is how that group stage is looking:
Group C
United States, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Cuba
Group D
Mexico, Guyana, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico
Group E
Canada, Jamaica, Guatemala, El Salvador
Group F
Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cayman Islands
For the Round of 16, third-place finisher in qualifying Group A, Bermuda, and third-place finisher in qualifying group B, Barbados, will take the spots left by Guyana and Saint Kitts and Nevis. These is how the Round of 16 fixtures look like:
Match #25
1C vs Saint Lucia
Match #26
1E vs Bermuda
Match #27
2C vs 3E
Match #28
2E vs 3C
Match #29
1D vs Grenada
Match #30
1F vs Barbados
Match #31
2D vs 3F
Match #32
2F vs 3D
The knockout round matches will be played in single elimination format and the finalists will secure their ticket to Costa Rica and Panama for the Women's U-20 World Cup 2020.
