Trinidad and Tobago to Meet Curaçao in Important World Cup Qualifier

The Concacaf Final Round for the 2026 World Cup begins in Port of Spain with a match between Trinidad and Tobago and Curaçao on Friday at Hasely Crawford Stadium. Both teams are eager to keep their World Cup hopes alive in Group B.

The Soca Warriors are in their seventh final qualifying round, having finished second in their prior group with seven points. They aim to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2006, when they made their debut in Germany. Curaçao is back in the final round for the third time after finishing first in Group C with 12 points, still seeking their first World Cup appearance.

Historically, Trinidad and Tobago have the upper hand, leading their encounters with seven wins, four draws, and three losses in 14 matches. In World Cup qualifiers, this will be their sixth meeting: T&T has two wins and three draws, while Curaçao has yet to win. Their last matchup was in the 2002 cycle, which Trinidad and Tobago won 6-1 on aggregate.

This will also be their second meeting in a final round after over 50 years. The first occurred during the qualifiers for the 1974 World Cup, with Trinidad and Tobago winning 4-0 in Haiti, featuring a hat trick from Steve David. Both teams now face off again with the goal of advancing towards North America 2026.