Guatemala defeated Surinam 3-1 in the final matchday of the Concacaf World Cup 2026 qualifying group stage. This result, combined with Panama's victory, denied the Caribbean team direct qualification for the World Cup and relegated them to the intercontinental playoffs. At the Manuel Felipe Carrera 'El Trébol' stadium, the Guatemalan team, which had no mathematical chance of advancing from the group, played for pride and brought a final joy to their fans against a rival that arrived as the leader of Group A but succumbed to the pressure. Although Guatemala controlled the tempo in the first half, the scoreboard did not move until the second half. The visitors' hopes were dashed when Nicolás Samayoa scored an own goal in the 93rd minute. With this outcome, Panama qualifies directly for the World Cup, Surinam must seek its ticket in the playoffs, and Guatemala closes the qualifying cycle by washing its image at home. Goals: 1-0, 52': Darwin Lom. 2-0, 57': Olger Escobar. 3-0, 65': Óscar Santis. 1-3, 90+3': Nicolás Samayoa (own goal).
