Curaçao thrash Bermuda, edge closer to historic World Cup spot | OneFootball

Curaçao moved closer to a spot in the 2026 World Cup this Thursday, after delivering a 7-0 thrashing of Bermuda and taking the lead in their group in the CONCACAF Qualifiers, while Jamaica was held to a 1-1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago.

Jamaica, aiming to play in a World Cup for the second time after debuting in 1998, started the night at the top of Group B in the final phase of the Qualifiers in the North, Central America and Caribbean region.

A win for Jamaica and a loss for Curaçao would have secured Jamaica’s qualification, but instead, they will have to face a decisive clash against Curaçao when the Qualifiers conclude on Tuesday.

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Curaçao close to qualification with historic rout

Curaçao, led by experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, had no trouble against Bermuda, still winless, in Devonshire.

The Dutch-born naturalized player Jordi Paulina scored two goals in a memorable debut for the Curaçao national team. He won a penalty after being brought down in the box and converted it in the 48th minute, making it 3-0 for Curaçao.

Paulina found the net again in the 63rd minute, capitalizing on a rebound to score the team’s fifth goal.

Leandro Bacuna started the rout by converting a penalty in the 6th minute, while Juninho Bacuna made it 2-0 with a long-range shot in the 32nd minute.

Sonja Hansen finished off a move in the 58th minute, Ar’Jany Martha scored from a free kick in the 82nd minute, and Roshon van Eijma closed the scoring with another long-range shot in stoppage time.

Jamaica draws and comes under pressure

In Port of Spain, Jamaica broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, when Renaldo Cephas finished a fast counterattack down the left with a shot that beat Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Denzil Smith and found the bottom right corner.

Kevin Molino scored the equalizer for Trinidad and Tobago in the 85th minute, but the result was not enough to prevent the team’s elimination.

Suriname keeps unprecedented dream alive

Suriname kept their dream of playing in the World Cup for the first time alive by beating El Salvador 4-0 in Paramaribo, a result that eliminated the Salvadorans.

Richonell Margaret scored two goals, while Tjaronn Chery and Doraso Klas completed the score for Suriname, who are tied at the top of Group A with nine points, alongside Panama, who defeated Guatemala 3-2.

Jose Fajardo, in the 78th minute, scored the winning goal for Panama, who had gone up 2-0 with goals from Cecilio Waterman in the 30th and 44th minutes, before Arquimides Odonez and Rudy Munoz scored in the second half for Guatemala.

Nicaragua surprises Honduras

Honduras, seeking their fourth World Cup appearance and first since 2014, were stunned by Nicaragua, losing 2-0 in Managua, and now share the lead in Group C with Haiti, who beat Costa Rica 1-0.

Nicaragua, who entered the match at the bottom of the group, opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a goal from Bancy Hernandez. Honduras pressed for an equalizer, but a shot from Jaime Moreno in the 82nd minute sealed the Nicaraguan victory.

After missing the chance to secure early qualification, Honduras now faces a tough final-round clash against third-placed Costa Rica, while Haiti takes on Nicaragua.

Concacaf Qualifiers Format

The CONCACAF powers United States, Canada, and Mexico are already guaranteed spots in the 2026 World Cup as host countries of the tournament, which will feature an expanded field of 48 teams for the first time.

Another 12 nations advanced to the final phase of the regional Qualifiers, in which the three group winners will secure direct spots in next year’s premier global football competition.

The two best second-placed teams will still have a chance to qualify through the intercontinental playoff organized by Fifa.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.