Panama, Curaçao and Haiti overcame a series of strong opponents in the CONCACAF region such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica and El Salvador to make their names in the biggest festival on the planet.
Panama have continued to show remarkable consistency in recent years. The 2018 World Cup team has performed extremely well at the right time, displaying disciplined, solid and decisive football.
Anibal Godoy (20, Panama) dribbles past El Salvador's defense
A 3-0 win over El Salvador in the final round not only helped them top Group A but also reaffirmed Panama’s new status in the group of teams that had to compete in the qualifying round. As many traditional powers stagnated, Panama emerged as a symbol of sustainable development and ambition to reach new heights.
Panama returns to the World Cup after 8 years
Curaçao, meanwhile, provided the most inspiring story of the qualifying round. The nation of just over 150,000 people entered the race with the spirit of a challenger, but played with the character of a mature team. Not only were they led by experienced coach Dick Avocaat, many of Curaçao’s players were trained in the Netherlands, helping to shape a technical, compact and well-organized style of play.
Most of the Curacao national team's mainstays play abroad.
They went 10 games unbeaten in the entire qualifying campaign, including a crucial 0-0 draw against Jamaica that saw them top Group B and make history: Curaçao’s first World Cup appearance. This was the result of years of building a system and effectively exploiting the source of overseas players.
The small country of Curaçao won its first ticket to the World Cup
The name that has the most "revival" is Haiti. The team that participated in the 1974 World Cup had to wait more than half a century to return to the big stage, in the context of the country going through many changes. However, football has always been a spiritual support, and the current generation of players has turned hope into reality with a strong, Caribbean style of play. A 2-0 victory over Nicaragua in the decisive match put Haiti at the top of Group C , closing an emotional journey and opening a new chapter for the country's football.
Jean-Ricne Bellegarde (10, Haiti) is playing for Wolverhampton
Haiti's success is attributed to coach Sebastien Migne, a Frenchman who, despite being appointed 18 months ago, has never set foot in the unstable country. Coach Sebastien Migne works remotely, receiving information from the leadership of the Haitian Football Federation, evaluating players through data and online communication.
He also tried to convince a group of Haitian players who were playing abroad to come back to play for the national team, such as Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (currently playing for Wolves), Josue Casimir (Auxerre) or Hannes Delcroix (who played for the Belgian national team)...
Haiti returns to World Cup after 52 years
Not only could the coach not travel to Haiti, the entire Haitian team could not play at home and had to borrow a field in Curacao, 800 km away. It was here that Haiti beat Nicaragua 2-0 in the decisive match to finish first in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the CONCACAF region with 11 points, thereby securing a World Cup berth along with Panama and Curacao.
The three direct spots for Panama, Curaçao and Haiti were not only surprising but also showed a strong shift in the CONCACAF football landscape. In a cycle where many familiar teams had to accept being left out, these three representatives proved that opportunities always belong to teams that know how to invest in the right direction and burn themselves out for the goal.
The 2026 World Cup will therefore have new colors - stories of will, belief and breakthrough, told by the three most deserving teams in the CONCACAF qualifying round.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/panama-curaao-va-haiti-gianh-ve-du-world-cup-2026-ba-cau-chuyen-vuot-gioi-han-cua-concacaf-196251120064159067.htm
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