Canada, the United States and Mexico will have company at next summer’s FIFA World Cup from Concacaf compatriots.
Panama, Curacao, and Haiti grabbed the automatic qualification spots from the confederation on Tuesday night to join the co-hosts in the tournament.
Panama returns to the World Cup for just the second time. After qualifying for the first time at Russia 2018, they failed to reach Qatar 2022. Los Canaleros earned their berth through a 3-0 victory over El Salvador.
Managed by former Leeds gaffer Thomas Christiansen, Panama features a number of veteran names including Marseille defender Amir Murillo, midfielder Anibal Godoy of San Diego and goalkeeper Luis Mejia of Nacional.
Curacao is a World Cup debutant, heading to their first ever tournament thanks to a scoreless draw with Jamaica to claim Group B.
Managed by former Netherlands, South Korea and Belgium boss, the well-traveled Dick Advocaat, Suriname features a team mostly based in the Eredivisie. But the most familiar name in the side is Sheffield United midfielder Tahith Chong. A Netherlands youth international and Manchester United academy product, the 25-year-old Chong made his Curacao debut earlier this year.
Haiti is back in the World Cup for just the second time and first time in 52 years. Les Grenadiers booked their spot in next summer’s tournament with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua, coupled with Honduras’ scoreless draw with Costa Rica.
A pair of Premier League players are among Sebastien Migne’s squad in Burnley defender Hannes Delcroix and midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde of Wolves. Forward Derrick Etienne Jr. made 48 appearances for Toronto FC over the past two seasons.