1989 CONCACAF Championship qualification
A total of 16 CONCACAF teams entered the competition. However, FIFA rejected the entry of Belize due to debts to FIFA.
There would be two rounds of play:
- First Round: Canada, Honduras, El Salvador, United States and Mexico, the five best ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the Second Round directly. The remaining 10 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the Second Round.
- Second Round: The 10 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the tournament.
CONCACAF First Round
| 17 April 1988 | Guyana  |
0 – 4 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
Georgetown, Guyana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paul Elliot-Allen  Marvin Faustin Geoffrey Lake Dexter Skeene |
Referee: Omar Monsón (Puerto Rico) |
| 8 May 1988 | Trinidad and Tobago |
1 – 0 | Guyana |
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anton Corneal 68' |
Referee: Success (Netherlands Antilles) |
Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the Second Round, 5–0 on aggregate score.
| 30 April 1988 | Cuba  |
0 – 1 |  Guatemala |
Havana, Cuba |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Manuel López 44' |
Referee: Rodolfo Martínez (Honduras) |
| 15 May 1988 | Guatemala |
1 – 1 | Cuba |
San Marcos, Guatemala |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Pérez 68' (pen.) |
Carlos González 40' |
Referee: Salas (United States) |
Guatemala advanced to the Second Round, 2–1 on aggregate score.
| 12 May 1988 | Jamaica  |
1 – 0 | .svg.png){kind=small} Puerto Rico |
Kingston, Jamaica |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Brooks 10' (pen.) |
Referee: Melendez Gonzalez (Guatemala) |
| 29 May 1988 | Puerto Rico |
1 – 2 | Jamaica |
San Juan, Puerto Rico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alejandro De la Campa 52' |
Winston Anglin 32' 78' |
Referee: Pearson (Bahamas) |
Jamaica advanced to the Second Round, 3–1 on aggregate score.
| 19 June 1988 | Antigua and Barbuda  |
0 – 1 | .svg.png){kind=small} Netherlands Antilles |
St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reymundo Rovina |
Referee: José Hernandez (Costa Rica) |
| 29 July 1988 | Netherlands Antilles |
3 – 1 (a.e.t.) |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reymundo Rovina 104' 118' Shurbi Rosina 120' |
Derrick Edwards 38' |
Referee: José Antonio Garza (Mexico) |
Netherlands Antilles advanced to the Second Round, 4–1 on aggregate score.
| 17 July 1988 | Costa Rica  |
1 – 1 |  Panama |
Alajuela, Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudio Jara 26' |
Víctor Mendieta 17' |
Referee: Rafael Rodríguez (El Salvador) |
| 31 July 1988 | Panama |
0 – 2 | Costa Rica |
Panama City, Panama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Cayasso 1' Hernán Medford 71' |
Referee: Charles Branche (Trinidad and Tobago) |
Costa Rica advanced to the Second Round, 3–1 on aggregate score.
CONCACAF Second Round
| 1 October 1988 | Netherlands Antilles |
0 – 1 |  El Salvador |
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricardo García 53' |
Referee: Charles Branche (Trinidad and Tobago) |
| 16 October 1988 | El Salvador |
5 – 0 | Netherlands Antilles |
San Salvador, El Salvador |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privado Coreas 5' Carlos Zapata Ricardo Garcia 35'Baltazar Zapata 58', 68' |
Referee: Bucknor (Jamaica) |
El Salvador qualified, 6–0 on aggregate score.
| 24 July 1988 | Jamaica |
0 – 0 |  United States |
Kingston, Jamaica |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referee: López (Honduras) |
| 13 August 1988 | United States |
5 – 1 | Jamaica |
Fenton, United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Bliss 18' Hugo Perez 68'Frank Klopas 76', 85'Paul Krumpe 78' |
Alton Sterling 54' |
Referee: David Brummitt (Canada) |
United States qualified, 5–1 on aggregate score.
| 30 October 1988 | Trinidad and Tobago |
0 – 0 |  Honduras |
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referee: Arturo Brizio (Mexico) |
| 13 November 1988 | Honduras |
1 – 1 | Trinidad and Tobago |
Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Alberto Flores 20' |
Hutson Charles 56' |
Referee: Tony Evangelista (Canada) |
The aggregate score was tied at 1–1, however Trinidad and Tobago qualified on away goals.
| Costa Rica |
w/o |  Mexico |
||
| Disqualified |
Mexico was disqualified for fielding over-aged players in a youth tournament, so Costa Rica qualified automatically.
| 9 October 1988 | Guatemala |
1 – 0 |  Canada |
Guatemala City, Guatemala |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Pérez 20' (pen.) |
Referee: Bratsis (United States) |
| 15 October 1988 | Canada |
3 – 2 | Guatemala |
Swangard Burnaby, Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Mitchell 63', 83' (pen.) Ian Bridge 88' |
Adan Paniagua 7' Carlos Castañeda 37' |
Referee: Berny Ulloa (Costa Rica) |
The aggregate score was tied at 3–3, however Guatemala qualified on away goals.
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