Guatemala Ends World Cup Qualifying With 3-1 Win, Suriname Clinches Play-Off Spot

Guatemala capped off their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a spirited 3-1 home win over Suriname on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera in Guatemala City. But while the home crowd celebrated the final whistle, the real story unfolded on the standings board: Suriname, a Caribbean underdog with a modest football pedigree, had just secured a spot in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament — their best shot at reaching the 2026 World Cup in over three decades.

Final Whistle, Different Stories

The match itself was a microcosm of the qualifying group’s drama. Darwin Lom opened the scoring in the 49th minute with a powerful header off a cross from Óscar Santis. By the 57th minute, Olger Escobar doubled the lead with a crisp left-footed strike from the edge of the box. The crowd roared. The home team looked like they were ending their campaign on a high.

But then came the twist. In the 65th minute, Óscar Santis pounced on a fast break, sliding in to slot home his second goal of the night. Guatemala, for all intents and purposes, had won. They had won the match. But they hadn’t won the race.

Suriname, needing only a draw to guarantee play-off qualification, responded with desperation. In the 90+3rd minute, a cross from Sheraldo Becker found its way through the box — and Nicolás Samayoa, Guatemala’s center-back, deflected it into his own net. The goal didn’t change the scoreline, but it changed history.

How Suriname Made History

Before this campaign, Suriname hadn’t come close to World Cup qualification since the 1980s. Their squad is mostly made up of players from the Dutch league system — a reflection of their colonial ties — and they entered the final round with low expectations. But they played smart, disciplined football. They drew three times, beat El Salvador and Panama, and survived a 3-2 loss to Guatemala earlier in the group.

Their 9-point total (2 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss) wasn’t the best in Group A — that belonged to Panama with 12 points — but it was enough to land them among the top four second-place finishers across CONCACAF’s three groups. That’s the magic number. Only the best four runners-up advance to the play-offs. Suriname edged out Honduras and Jamaica on goal difference (+3), thanks in part to that late own goal.

"It’s surreal," said Suriname assistant coach Ricardo van der Veen in a post-match interview. "We knew we had to hold on. We didn’t care how. We just needed that point. And somehow, the ball found the net — even if it wasn’t supposed to. We’ll take it. This is bigger than any of us."

Guatemala’s Near Miss

For Guatemala, it was a bittersweet end. They finished third with 8 points — the same as their 2022 qualifying campaign — but this time, they were within one point of second place. Their offense, led by Lom and Santis, looked dangerous. Their defense, however, remains a concern. Three goals conceded in their final three matches, including that own goal, cost them dearly.

Coach Luis Fernando Tenna made four changes from their previous loss to Panama, and it paid off in attack. But he admitted after the match: "We played well, but we didn’t play smart enough in the final minutes. We thought we were safe. We weren’t. That’s on us." The result also meant Guatemala missed out on the chance to play in the play-offs — a rare opportunity for a nation that has only qualified for one World Cup before, in 1982.

What Comes Next

The FIFA Play-Off Tournament will take place in March 2026, with four teams from CONCACAF facing off against teams from Asia, Africa, and South America. Suriname will be drawn against one of those teams in a single-elimination match. Win, and they’re in the World Cup. Lose, and their dream ends.

For Guatemala, the focus now turns to rebuilding. Young players like Lom and Escobar showed promise. But without a clear pathway to the next World Cup cycle, the federation faces pressure to overhaul its youth development system.

A Legacy in the Making

Suriname’s journey is more than just a qualifying result. It’s a symbol. A small nation with limited resources, playing against giants like the U.S. and Mexico, managed to stay alive. Their players celebrated not just the draw, but the fact that they were still in the conversation. For many in Paramaribo, this match will be remembered as the moment their football identity changed.

And for Guatemala? The stadium lights dimmed, the crowd thinned, and the scoreboard told a quiet truth: sometimes, you win the game — but lose the war.