CONCACAF’s main qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an end on Tuesday, it was drama into the night as all three groups were up for grabs until the final whistle, along with the second-place position(s) for a spot in the Intercontinental Playoff.
Panama Wins Three Games in Four To Reach World Cup
Wins against Guatemala and El Salvador confirmed that Panama, perhaps the strongest CONCACAF team to not directly qualify for the World Cup (USA, Mexico, and Canada are hosts), are into their second ever World Cup. Playing at home with everything at stake, Panama left nothing to doubt against a weaker El Salvador side, two first half goals and a late third goal made the result 3-0, in a game Panama dominated with 21 shots to 6 for El Salvador who were already eliminated.
Haiti Returns To World Cup for Second Time
A generational performance from Haiti returned the nation to the World Cup for the first time since 1974. First half goals from Louicius Deedson (FC Dallas) and Ruben Providence (Almere City), both under 25, gave them the upper hand against Nicaragua who were already eliminated. The win, while Honduras failed to do the same against Costa Rica, means that Haitian fans can already prepare to enjoy the World Cup, with the large Haitian diaspora in the United States and Canada already celebrating.
Curacao’s Draw Hands Them World Cup Debut
Despite looking more threatening offensively, Jamaica was left frustrated in their h2h face off for a World Cup spot against Curacao. The formerly Dutch island played a defensive game and it paid off, as Jamaica saw a red card late and couldn’t get a penalty that they wanted at the end of the game. There were no goals, but both teams peppered more than a dozen shots in what was an evenly matched contest. Jamaica had more chances, but Curacao had more shots on goal. What can you say about a scoreless draw other than to praise Curacao’s defence for doing what they had to do. Veteran defender Leandro Bacuno was named player of the match, and had two outstanding performances in two must win games for Curacao.
Relying heavily on the Dutch football pyramid, Curacao has steadily improved their football in both the Gold Cup and World Cup Qualifying, now they get the reward of playing on football’s biggest stage as its smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup.
Jamaica and Suriname Complete FIFA World Cup Intercontinental Playoffs Field
World #68 Jamaica and world #126 Suriname are into the FIFA Intercontinental playoffs. A scoreless draw between Honduras and Costa Rica, a match played without a lot of intensity despite the stakes, resulted in both teams being eliminated from the World Cup, a massive disappointment. Honduras could have advanced directly with a win, while Costa Rica needed a win to reach this phase.
The draw will be made with Suriname or Jamaica taking on Bolivia or New Caledonia. While DR Congo and Iraq, advance directly to the final match based on their world ranking. With New Caledonia a small footballing nation, and Bolivia known to struggle away from high altitude, Suriname still has a shot of reaching its first World Cup, while Jamaica only made the tournament in 1998.
Main Photo Credit: Imago Images Copyright: xStanxSzetox
