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.

Entrants

CONCACAF North American Zone

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Mexico412131+241977 CONCACAF Championship
2=Canada (O)412123−14
2=United States412134−14
24 September 1976Canada1–1United StatesVancouver, Canada
Bolitho 77'Bandov 8'Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 15,453 Referee: Dorantes García (Mexico)
3 October 1976United States0–0MexicoLos Angeles, United States
Stadium: Memorial Coliseum Attendance: 33,171 Referee: Dante Maglio (Canada)
10 October 1976Canada1–0MexicoVancouver, Canada
Parsons 32'Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 17,939 Referee: Toros Kibritjian (United States)
15 October 1976Mexico3–0United StatesPuebla, Mexico
Solís 28' Álvarez 40' Dávila 83' (pen.)Stadium: Cuauhtémoc Referee: Werner Winsemann (Canada)
20 October 1976United States2–0CanadaSeattle, United States
Rys 55' Veee 81'Stadium: Kingdome Attendance: 17,675 Referee: Rubio Vásquez (Mexico)
27 October 1976Mexico0–0CanadaToluca, Mexico
Stadium: Nemesio Díez Referee: Landauer (United States)

Canada and United States finished level on points and goal difference, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.

22 December 1976Canada3–0United StatesStade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Budd 21' Lenarduzzi 80' Bolitho 87'Attendance: 5,000 (estimated) Referee: Velasquez Ramírez (Colombia)

Mexico and Canada advanced to the tournament.

CONCACAF Central American Zone

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Guatemala6321156+981977 CONCACAF Championship
2El Salvador6231107+37
3Costa Rica614186+26
4Panama6114721−143
4 April 1976Panama3–2Costa RicaEstadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
Tapia 48' Ponce 50' Sánchez 75'Jiménez 34' Barrantes 85'Referee: Cedillos (Honduras)
2 May 1976Panama1–1El SalvadorEstadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
Vázquez 50' (pen.)Ramírez 16'Referee: Rojas Luis (Costa Rica)
11 July 1976Costa Rica3–0PanamaEstadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San Juan de Tibás, Costa Rica
Alvarado 11', 22' Jiménez 44'Referee: Sazo Alvarez (Nicaragua)
1 August 1976El Salvador4–1PanamaEstadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador
Ramírez 7', 14', 78' Aquino 69'Hernández 88'Referee: Rubio Vásquez (Mexico)
17 September 1976Panama2–4GuatemalaEstadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
Wellmann 9' (o.g.) Montillo 25'Pennant 51' Sánchez 56', 63' Anderson 88'Referee: Álvarez Morales (Costa Rica)
26 September 1976Guatemala7–0PanamaEstadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Sánchez 14', 68' Pennant 17', 40' McDonald 53', 62' Sandoval 70'Referee: Avendano Ruiz (El Salvador)
1 December 1976El Salvador1–1Costa RicaEstadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador
Cabrera 27'Jiménez 78'Referee: Méndez Molina (Guatemala)
5 December 1976Costa Rica0–0GuatemalaEstadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
Referee: Archundia (Mexico)
8 December 1976Guatemala3–1El SalvadorEstadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala
McNish 19' Monterroso 30' Sánchez 80'Valencia 14' (pen.)Referee: Luis Paulino Siles Calderón (Costa Rica)
12 December 1976Guatemala1–1Costa RicaEstadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Sandoval 77'Salgado 89'Referee: Andino Pinel (Honduras)
15 December 1976Costa Rica1–1El SalvadorEstadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
Figueroa 40'Ramírez 75'Referee: Mollinedo (Guatemala)
19 December 1976El Salvador2–0GuatemalaEstadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador
Cabrera 1' Valencia 12'Referee: Segura (Mexico)

Guatemala and El Salvador advanced to the tournament.

CONCACAF Caribbean Zone

Brackets

Preliminary RoundFirst RoundSecond Round
Guyana20n2
Suriname03n3
Suriname (a.e.t.)1233*
Group A
Trinidad and Tobago1223
Barbados2012
Trinidad and Tobago1132*
Jamaica10n1
Cuba32n5
Cuba1102
Group B
Haiti1122*
Netherlands Antilles10n1
Haiti27n9
Dominican Republic00n0
Haiti33n6

Group A

First round

4 July 1976Guyana2–0SurinameGeorgetown Cricket Club Ground, Georgetown, Guyana
Butts 9' Niles 72'Referee: Gay (Trinidad and Tobago)
29 August 1976Suriname3–0 (3–2 agg.)GuyanaAndré Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname
Playfaire 4' George 35', 53'Referee: Wooding (Trinidad and Tobago)

Suriname advanced to the Second Round.

15 August 1976Barbados2–1Trinidad and TobagoBarbados National Stadium, Bridgetown, Barbados
Clarke 47', 54' (pen.)David 83'Referee: Steeman (Suriname)
31 August 1976Trinidad and Tobago1–0 (2–2 agg.)BarbadosQueen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Douglas 36'Referee: Koetsier (Netherlands Antilles)

The aggregate score was tied 2–2, and a play-off was played to decide who would advance to the Second Round.

14 September 1976Barbados1–3Trinidad and TobagoBarbados National Stadium, Bridgetown, Barbados
Clarke 26'Llewellyn 3' Carpette 74' Clarke 85' (o.g.)Referee: Calderón Castro (Cuba)

Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the Second Round, via the play-off.

Second round

14 November 1976Suriname1–1Trinidad and TobagoAndré Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname
George 2'David 9'Referee: Chandler (Barbados)
28 November 1976Trinidad and Tobago2–2 (3–3 agg.)SurinameQueen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Figaro 29' (pen.) Llewellyn 64'Olmberg 44' Entingh 83'Referee: Llobregat Vicedo (Venezuela)

The aggregate score was tied 3–3, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the tournament.

18 December 1976Suriname3–2(a.e.t.)Trinidad and TobagoStade Georges-Chaumet, Cayenne, French Guiana
George 60', 80' Olmberg 107' (pen.)David 19', 70'Referee: Llobregat Vicedo (Venezuela)

Suriname advanced to the tournament, via the play-off.

Group B

Preliminary round

2 April 1976Dominican Republic0–3HaitiEstadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Auguste 12' Bayonne 29' Baptiste 32'Referee: Wuertz (United States)
17 April 1976Haiti3–0 (6–0 agg.)Dominican RepublicStade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Bayonne 32', 63' Domingue 44'Referee: Villarejo Ramírez (Puerto Rico)

Haiti advanced to the First Round.

First round

30 July 1976Netherlands Antilles1–2HaitiGuillermo Próspero Trinidad, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Ruiz 84'Sanon 27', 39'Referee: Chaplin (Jamaica)
14 August 1976Haiti7–0 (9–1 agg.)Netherlands AntillesStade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Domingue 5', 41' Sanon 27', 79' Labissiere 30' Brevil 50' Bayonne 56'Referee: Montane Bosch (Puerto Rico)

Haiti advanced to the Second Round.

15 August 1976Jamaica1–3CubaIndependence Park, Kingston, Jamaica
Brown 65'Rivero 29' Lara 50' Fariñas 75'Referee: De la Puente (Dominican Republic)
29 August 1976Cuba2–0 (5–1 agg.)JamaicaEstadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba
Fariñas 42' Pérez 77'Referee: Pastor (Dominican Republic)

Cuba advanced to the Second Round.

Second round

28 November 1976Cuba1–1HaitiEstadio Latinoamericano, Havana, Cuba
Núñez 19'Sanon 54'Referee: Stewart (Jamaica)
11 December 1976Haiti1–1 (2–2 agg.)CubaStade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Sanon 81'Roldán 79'Referee: Montane Bosch (Puerto Rico)

The aggregate score was tied 2–2, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.

29 December 1976Haiti2–0CubaEstadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
Domingue 63' Désir 83' (pen.)Referee: Dorantes Garcia (Mexico)

Haiti advanced to the tournament, via the play-off.

Teams qualified to the 1977 CONCACAF Championship

  • Mexico (CONCACAF North America Zone Winners)
  • Canada (CONCACAF North American Zone Play-Off Winners)
  • Guatemala (CONCACAF Central American Zone Winners)
  • El Salvador (CONCACAF Central American Zone Runners-up)
  • Suriname (CONCACAF Caribbean Zone Second Round Winners)
  • Haiti (CONCACAF Caribbean Zone Second Round and Play-off winners)

Goalscorers

6 goals

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal