Soccer-CONCACAF qualifiers will not start until March - FIFA

FIFA said it had taken the decision jointly with the CONCACAF confederation after deciding that the international dates in October and November were too early for play to restart. "Many parts of the region continue to have very challenging public health situations, and that has been a key factor in this decision," said FIFA in a statement.

The start of the 2022 World Cup qualifying competition in the CONCACAF region, comprising North and Central America and the Caribbean, has been delayed until March next year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, global soccer body FIFA said on Tuesday. FIFA said it had taken the decision jointly with the CONCACAF confederation after deciding that the international dates in October and November were too early for play to restart.

"Many parts of the region continue to have very challenging public health situations, and that has been a key factor in this decision," said FIFA in a statement. "Additionally, several countries across the confederation have travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, which would make international football involving 30 national teams extremely difficult."