Preview: Curacao vs El Salvador - prediction, team news, lineups

Making their first CONCACAF Gold Cup appearance this decade, Curacao will open Group B action on Tuesday by facing El Salvador at PayPal Park.

Both sides advanced to the third stage of World Cup 2026 qualifying last week with the Dutch Caribbean team easing past Haiti 5-1 and La Selecta playing to a 1-1 draw with Suriname.

Match preview

The experience of Dick Advocaat has worked wonders for Curacao, who enter this competition in fine form having made quite the impression on the region.

This side have claimed a triumph in five of their previous six matches played across all competitions, with those five wins being by a combined margin of 19-2.

Tuesday will mark their first match in this competition since 2019 when they finished second in their group, advancing to the quarter-finals on goal difference, above El Salvador.

This upcoming contest will be the sixth time they appear in a Gold Cup game on American soil, and they are unbeaten in their last two such matches in the US.

Under the former three-time Dutch national team manager, Curacao boast a 100% record across all competitions when netting the opening goal, doing so in eight of his 11 matches at the helm.

La Familia Azul have not beaten a Central American side since June 2022 when they edged Honduras 2-1 on matchday two of the CONCACAF Nations League group phase.

By the thinnest of margins El Salvador’s dream of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1982 is still alive, edging out Puerto Rica for second place by a single point.

The Central Americans have come from behind to earn a result in three matches this year, including that draw with Suriname which kept their World Cup aspirations intact.

Since the appointment of Hernan Gomez in February, they have avoided defeat in four of their five encounters, with their only loss being in a friendly versus the Houston Dynamo in March (2-1).

El Salvador are winless in their previous five Gold Cup affairs and have not won a group fixture in this competition since July 2021 (2-0 over Trinidad and Tobago).

In two of the last three editions of this tournament, though, they have won their opening group match, with the last one occurring in 2021 versus Guatemala (2-0).

Los Cuscatlecos have never lost a game to Curacao, in eight prior meetings, winning their only two Gold Cup affairs against them 2-0 in 2017 and 1-0 two years later.

Curacao form (all competitions):

El Salvador form (all competitions): WLDDWD

Team News

Heading into this match Curacao captain Eloy Room is one cap below Leandro Bacuna for second all-time, while Juninho Bacuna can surpass Shanon Carmelia and Elson Hooi for seventh in appearance with the national team.

Jeremy Antonisse, Jearl Margaritha, Kenji Gorre, Gervane Kastaneer and Kevin Felida all found the back of the net in their win over Haiti, the first on the international stage for the latter.

On Tuesday Bryan Tamacas can move into a tie for sixth in all-time caps for El Salvador and Alexander Larin moved into second for appearances in the history of La Selecta against Suriname.

Brayan Gil netted their only goal of that contest, his fourth with the national team with only Larin (seven) and Jairo Henriquez (five) scoring more internationally on the squad selected for this tournament.

Curacao possible starting lineup:

Room; Brenet, Gaari, Van Eijma, Floranus; Roemeratoe, L. Bacuna; Margaritha, J. Bacuna, Gorre; Kastaneer

El Salvador possible starting lineup:

Gonzalez; Tamacas, Dominguez, Cruz, Larin; Landaverde, Cartagena; Osorio, Ordaz, Henriquez; Gil

We say: Curacao 1-1 El Salvador

Curacao should be full of confidence heading into this fixture, but they may not have an easy time against a resilient El Salvador side that are stronger defensively than the Caribbean teams they have faced of late.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.