CONCACAF announces path to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, qualifying campaign to begin in 2015

MLSsoccer staff

Less than a calendar year. That's the extent of the break between World Cup matches and the beginning of the quest to get back to the sport's biggest stage.

On Monday, CONCACAF revealed the path to Russia 2018, giving its 35 member countries, including the USA and Canada, a clear blueprint of what exactly it's going to take to claim one of the region's three automatic 2018 World Cup berths and lone playoff spot.

The United States and Jurgen Klinsmann will enter the fray in Round 4, joining 11 other nations. Should they advance to the final Round 5 (aka The Hexagonal), the Americans would play a total of 16 qualifying matches, a total that's been typical of recent World Cup qualifying cycles. But this time they will kick off qualifying seven months earlier than normal because there are fewer international dates on the FIFA calendar.

CONCACAF U-20 Championship: Full schedule, results and standings

The road will be that much tougher for Canada. The Canadians will have two home-and-home series that they will have to survive before joining the Americans in Round 4. The campaign for Benito Floro & Co. gets underway in June 2015.

USMNT 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING SCHEDULE
Round 4 (three groups of four teams each; group winners and runners-up advance)

Nov. 7-17, 2015 (two matches)

March 21-29, 2016 (two matches)

Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2016 (two matches)

Round 5 (aka "The Hexagonal" -- 6-team Hexagonal round-robin group play; top 3 advance to Russia 2018, 4th-place team advances to playoff series)

Nov. 7-15, 2016 (two matches)

March 20-28, 2017 (two matches)

June 5-13, 2017 (two matches)

Aug. 28-Sept. 5, 2017 (two matches)

Oct. 2-10, 2017 (two matches)

CANADA 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING SCHEDULE

Round 2(20 teams paired up in 10 different home-and-away series)