Preview:Trinidad and Tobago vs Curacao - prediction, team news, lineups

Curacao can stretch their World Cup 2026 winning run to four games on Friday when they travel to Haseley Crawford Stadium to face Trinidad and Tobago on matchday one of the third round.

In round two of the qualifying cycle, TNT edged out Grenada for second place on goal difference, while Curacao won their group with 12 points.

Match preview

It has not been pretty, but Trinidad managed to advance beyond the second round thanks to their attacking punch, scoring 16 times in four games.

Dwight Yorke was a part of the national team when they made the finals for the first and only time in 2006, and the former Man United striker has got them to the final qualification stage for the first time since the 2018 cycle.

His side will enter this upcoming encounter on a four-match winless run across all competitions, though they claimed a result in those last two outings.

All six of their points in the final phase of qualifying for the 2018 finals were at home, including the last one when they denied the USA a spot in the competition with a stunning 2-1 triumph.

The Soca Warriors have won their previous three matches played in their home country across all competitions by a combined margin of 13-3.

Two of their three all-time meetings versus Curacao ended in a victory for TNT, the last one coming in a September 2023 Nations League contest at Hasely Crawford Stadium (1-0).

In round two of qualifying, CONCACAF discovered the potency of Curacao, as they destroyed their four opponents en route to a place in the final stage of qualifying.

Dick Advocaat’s men emerged victorious in their four contests by a combined margin of 15-2 without a single goal conceded in the opening half.

At the Gold Cup this past summer, they had a trio of strong showings, claiming points in two of their three fixtures, but they were eliminated in the group stage.

Curacao have won seven consecutive matches across all competitions when leading at the half and have not lost in that scenario since Saint Kitts and Nevis came back to beat them on penalties in a June 2023 Gold Cup qualifier.

Friday marks the fourth successive match they play outside of their home country, with this team winless in those previous three instances, netting a goal or fewer each time.

Since a 2-1 defeat to Saint Lucia in September 2024, La Familia Azul are unbeaten in their last seven outings versus Caribbean opposition, winning on six of those occasions.

Trinidad and Tobago World Cup Qualifying - North Central America form:

Trinidad and Tobago form (all competitions):

Curacao World Cup Qualifying - North Central America form:

Curacao form (all competitions):

Team News

Trinidad will be missing Ajani Fortune after he suffered a foot sprain at the Gold Cup, while Yorke has called up Deron Payne, Kobi Henry and Justin Obiku to the Trinidad senior team for the first time.

Dante Sealy and Levi Garcia each netted twice in the previous qualification phase, with the latter being the second-highest scorer on the squad selected to this window behind Kevin Molino, who has 26 goals for the Soca Warriors.

On Friday, Jurien Gaari can draw even with Gevaro Nepomuceno for fourth in all-time caps with Curacao, while captain Eloy Room and Leandro Bacuna remain tied for second with 62 appearances each.

Gervane Kastaneer finished the second round as the joint top-goalscorer with five strikes, moving him ahead of Gino van Kessel for fifth all-time with the national team.

Trinidad and Tobago possible starting lineup:

Phillip; Cardines, A. Jones, J. Garcia, Raymond; Sealy, Rampersad, Molino, Phillips, Spicer; L. Garcia

Curacao possible starting lineup:

Room; Floranus, Gaari, Van Eijma, Carolina; Comenencia, Roemeratoe; Margaritha, Chong, Antonisse; Kastaneer

We say: Trinidad and Tobago 2-2 Curacao

Although Curacao are ranked 15 places above Trinidad according to FIFA, we anticipate a fairly even match between two teams that play aggressively but are both vulnerable defensively.

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