Overview
- Jamaica drew 0-0 with Curaçao in Kingston, missing the win required to top Group B and qualify directly for 2026.
- Curaçao finished first with 12 points, one ahead of Jamaica, and became the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup.
- McClaren stepped down after 18 months in charge, calling the decision an act of accountability and saying the team needs a fresh voice.
- Assistant coach Dean Gorre said McClaren was in tears after the match, reflecting the emotional fallout from the failure.
- Jamaica now enters a six-team intercontinental playoff in Mexico in March with Iraq, DR Congo, Suriname, Bolivia and New Caledonia, where two teams will advance.