Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Curaçao Becomes Smallest Nation to Qualify for World Cup After Draw in Jamaica

A stoppage-time VAR reversal in Kingston preserved the 0-0 result that sealed the island’s first-ever berth.

Overview

  • Curaçao finished top of CONCACAF Group B with 12 points to clinch automatic qualification, while Jamaica placed second and will enter March’s inter‑confederation playoff.
  • The decisive match ended 0-0 after a penalty awarded to Jamaica in stoppage time was overturned by VAR; Jamaica had earlier gone down to 10 men with an 89th‑minute red card.
  • Haiti beat Nicaragua 2-0 to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, and Panama defeated El Salvador 3-0 to secure the region’s other automatic slot.
  • Jamaica and Suriname advance to the inter‑confederation playoff tournament for two remaining berths, with fixtures scheduled for March.
  • Curaçao’s rise featured an unbeaten qualifying run and a squad built largely from DutchAntillean diaspora talent; head coach Dick Advocaat missed the Jamaica trip for family reasons.