The playing field for the World Cup 2026 is almost set, as several nations have already secured their spots. There’s a huge reason to celebrate, particularly in the CONCACAF region, as Curacao, Haiti, and Panama are finally in after years of trying.
These three teams topped their respective groups to earn their spots, joining hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States. On the other hand, Suriname and Jamaica still have a puncher’s chance to qualify, as they’re in the inter-confederation play-offs as the best second-placed teams.
Elsewhere in the CAF region, the second round is concluded, with DR Congo winning the four-team mini-tournament. This means that the Leopards will claim the lone inter-confederation play-off berth from the region, leaving Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon in tears.
Just in case you missed it, here are some of the latest World Cup 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
A memorable World Cup first for Curacao
Curacao – home to just around 156,000 people – defied the World Cup 2026 odds to become the smallest nation to ever qualify. Their tense goalless draw against Jamaica on Tuesday was enough to secure passage to next year’s finals.
The result capped a nerve-wracking finale to the CONCACAF qualifiers, where Curacao survived Jamaica’s relentless pressure. Jamaica hit the woodwork three times in the second half and almost had a penalty when Jeremy Antonisse clipped Dujuan Richards inside the penalty area. Referee Ivan Barton initially pointed to the spot, but a VAR review overturned the call in a stunning twist that preserved Curacao’s World Cup dream.
The Blue Wave did it despite not having head coach Dick Advocaat on the touchline. Advocaat missed the contest due to a family emergency, but he was certainly happy to watch his troops get the job done from afar.
Previously, Curacao had never qualified for the World Cup since they were no longer known as the Netherlands Antilles after 2010. The Blue Wave performed well in the CONCACAF qualifiers, posting a perfect 4-0-0 record in the second round and notching three wins and three draws in the third round. Curacao’s 2-0 win against Jamaica last October certainly played a key role in their qualifying campaign.
Haiti and Panama also booked their spots
Haiti and Panama are also through to next year’s World Cup, following their wins over Nicaragua (2-0) and El Salvador (3-0) earlier today. This is the second time Haiti has been in the quadrennial tournament, with their first appearance being in 1974. Panama are also in their second-ever World Cup, having last played in 2018.
Louicius Deedson and Ruben Providence scored goals in the first half to give Haiti the upper hand against Nicaragua, who were already eliminated. The goalless draw between Costa Rica and Honduras also put Haiti two points clear to seal the top spot in Group C.
Panama left nothing to doubt against a weaker El Salvador side, as Cesar Blackman and Eric Davis produced two first-half goals before Jose Rodriguez put the final nail in the coffin in the 85th minute. Suriname’s 3-1 loss to Guatemala certainly helped Panama clinch the top berth in Group A.
Back to the drawing board for Nigeria
Nigeria narrowly missed out on direct qualification for next year’s finals, as they were one point adrift of South Africa in the first round. As one of the top-ranked second-placed teams, the Super Eagles had to navigate a gauntlet to secure an inter-confederation play-off berth against Cameroon, Gabon, and DR Congo.
Eric Chelle’s men passed their first test with flying colors with a 4-1 rout of Gabon last Thursday night. Akor Adams, Chidera Ejuke, and Victor Osimhen (brace) found the back of the net for the Super Eagles, with Mario Lemina scoring a consolation goal for Gabon.
However, things went awry for Nigeria against DR Congo, who eked out a 1-0 win over Cameroon, courtesy of Chancel Mbemba’s stoppage-time goal. The Super Eagles had a dream start, as Frank Onyeka scored within the first three minutes of the contest, but Mechak Ella replied 29 minutes later.
The game went to penalties when neither team scored a second goal. Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missed their first two penalties before DR Congo’s Timothy Fayulu saved Semi Ajayi’s kick in sudden death, and Mbemba scored the winning penalty. DR Congo have only played in the World Cup once in 1974, when the country was called Zaire. On the other hand, Nigeria will miss the World Cup for the second straight time. They last qualified for 2018, where they failed to advance past the group stage.
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