CONCACAF History: Haiti, Curaçao, and Panama secure a spot in the World Cup

In a decisive round of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Haiti, Curaçao, and Panama won the long-awaited spots. In contrast, Suriname and Jamaica will have to compete in the intercontinental play-off.

CURAÇAO AND HAITI MAKE HISTORY AT CONCACAF

Having to beat Nicaragua and count on a stumble from Honduras against Costa Rica, Haiti secured the leadership of Group C after beating Nicaragua 2-0, a result that sealed its return to the World Cup after more than 50 years.

In the Group, Curaçao was competing for a direct place against Jamaica, away from home, and a simple draw was enough for the “Blue Wave”. In a truncated game, with the “Reggie Boyz” hitting the post three times and a penalty overturned in extra time, Curaçao held on to a 0-0 draw and will go to the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.

This will be Curaçao's first participation in a World Cup - and, in addition, the country stands out for being the smallest in territory to play in the tournament.

Finally, Panama took the spot after beating El Salvador 3-0 without a fight, while Suriname stumbled 3-1 against the already-eliminated Guatemala. Suriname and Jamaica, on the other hand, are preparing for the play-in, a scenario that could still earn them a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The playoff berth will be contested by six teams (including two from CONCACAF), as defined by the qualifying format, namely: Suriname, Jamaica, Bolivia, New Caledonia, Iraq, and DR Congo.

Historical meanings

• Haiti's classification is especially symbolic: it is its second appearance in the World Cup (the first was in 1974) and comes amid serious social and political challenges in the country.

• Curaçao, with just over 150,000 inhabitants, writes history. As a first-timer, it became the smallest territorial entity to compete in a World Cup, turning the qualifying campaign into a true Antillean fairytale.

How does the recap format work?

FIFA uses the ranking to determine the stages: the top two seeds are the top-seeded teams, and the two best-ranked teams out of the six go straight into the second phase. Thus, the other four teams play in the preliminary phase, namely:

Game 1: Team A × Team B

Game 2: Team C × Team D

The winners of each game will face the headliners. After that:

Key head 1 × Winner of Game 1

Key Head 2 × Game 2 Winner

The two winners of those matches qualify for the World Cup. It should be noted that all games will be on a neutral field, in single matches.