Curacao seal World Cup fairy tale as Haiti, Panama also qualify from Concacaf
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Curacao players and fans celebrating World Cup 2026 qualification after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica at the National Stadium in Kingston on Nov 18, 2025.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
KINGSTON – The tiny Caribbean nation of Curacao became the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup on Nov 18, as Haiti booked their return to the tournament for the first time in 52 years along with Panama.
A nerve-shredding finale to the North, Central American and Caribbean qualifying campaign saw Curacao – with a population of just over 150,000 – squeeze into the 2026 Finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston.
The result cost Jamaica coach Steve McClaren his job. “Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is to recognise when a fresh voice, new energy and a different perspective is required to move this team forward,” said the former England manager.
Haiti, meanwhile, who last appeared at the World Cup in 1974, also completed an improbable qualification campaign with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua, thanks to goals from Louicius Deedson and Ruben Providence.
Ironically, Haiti secured their decisive qualification victory in Curacao, where the team have been forced to play their home qualifiers due to unrest in their homeland.
Panama, meanwhile, grabbed the other direct qualification spot on offer on Nov 18 with a 3-0 win over El Salvador at home, thanks to goals from Cesar Blackman, Eric Davis and Jose Rodriguez.
That victory ended Suriname’s hopes of automatic qualification. Suriname, beaten 3-1 away by Guatemala, nevertheless squeezed into the play-off places, alongside Jamaica.
Darwin Lom, Olger Escobar and Oscar Santis netted for the Guatemalans before an injury-time own goal by Nicolas Samayoa.
Curacao, whose veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat was forced to miss the game due to a family issue in the Netherlands, were left celebrating a historic result.
At the 78, he is set to be the oldest coach at a World Cup. The oldest person to coach at the World Cup is German Otto Rehhagel, who was 71 when he managed Greece at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
It was 2am on Nov 19 in the Netherlands when Advocaat sat down to watch the team, keeping in telephone contact with team manager Wouter Jansen, who passed his instructions on to assistant coaches Dean Gorre and Cor Pot at half-time, the Dutch media reported.
Curacao is by far the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, which is being expanded to 48 teams in 2026 for the first time.
The previous smallest country to qualify for the tournament was Iceland in 2018, with a population of around 350,000.
Curacao finally booked their place after an extraordinary finale at Kingston’s National Stadium, where Jamaica launched a furious onslaught as they chased the win which would guarantee them a World Cup place at their opponents’ expense.
The Reggae Boyz hit the woodwork three times in the second half, with substitute Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri going agonisingly close with a header that crashed off the post in the 87th minute.
There was more drama in store in stoppage time, when Jamaica were awarded a penalty which was later overturned by the video assistant referee.
The March inter-confederation play-offs in Mexico will feature Jamaica, Suriname, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Bolivia and New Caledonia, with two World Cup berths up for grabs.
AFP, REUTERS
