FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Curacao boosts qualification expectations with win against Jamaica

Curaçao increased its chances of reaching the World Cup for the first time on Friday with a 2-0 victory over Jamaica in the CONCACAF qualifiers.

Goals from Livano Comenencia and Kenji Gorre at Ergilio Stadium in a willingly sealed, deserved victory that left the Caribbean Minnongs Aptop Group B behind.

Curacao is coached by experienced Dutch manager Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old looking to take a team to the World Cup for the third time after leading the Netherlands to the 1998 final and South Korea to the 2006 tournament.

Friday’s victory over Jamaica puts Curaçao at the top of the group with seven points from three games, one point more than the second-placed Jamaicans, who have six points.

Trinidad & Tobago are third in the group with four points, after recording a comfortable 3-0 win over Bermuda on Friday.

Curaçao will play a potentially crucial home match against Trinidad & Tobago in the next qualifying match on Tuesday.

But Friday’s defeat was another blow to Jamaican coach Steve McClaren, the former England manager who is trying to lead the Reggae Boyz back to the World Cup for a second time.

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Elsewhere on Friday, Suriname also kept its unlikely qualifying campaign on track with a 1-1 draw at home to Guatemala in Group A.

Darwin Lom gave Guatemala the lead in the 75th minute, but Suriname leveled in the fourth minute of stoppage time with a messy goal from Virgil Misidjan.

The result left Suriname at the top of the group with five points from three games, putting Panama ahead on goal difference. Panama improved its chances of qualification on Friday with a 1-0 win over El Salvador.

With CONCACAF giants the United States, Mexico and Canada qualifying as co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup, three more automatic spots will be offered to teams from the region.

The three group winners from the final qualifying round will qualify for next year’s tournament, with the two top-ranked, second-placed teams advancing to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Published on October 11, 2025