Steve McClaren out, but 42 of the 48 World Cup golden tickets now punched
Steve McClaren has resigned as Jamaica’s head coach. Pic: Nigel French/PA Wire.
Steve McClaren has resigned as Jamaica’s head coach after a goalless draw with Curaçao ended the team’s hopes of automatic World Cup qualification and left them in March’s intercontinental playoffs.
Jamaica needed a win but hit the woodwork three times in the second half as Curaçao became the smallest country by population to win a berth at the World Cup finals. McClaren’s side finished second in Group B of Concacaf qualifying despite being the favourites.
They can still make it to the 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US but will have to go through the playoffs in Mexico, which offer two qualification spaces. Iraq and DR Congo are the seeded teams and will be joined by Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname and New Caledonia.
“Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career but football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group,” McClaren, the 64-year-old former England manager, said.
“It is the responsibility of the leader to step forward, take accountability and make decisions in the best interests of the team. After deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to go, I have decided to step down as head coach of the Jamaican national team.
“Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is to recognise when a fresh voice, new energy and a different perspective is required to move this team forward.”
Forty two of the 48 places are now filled for the World Cup next year. But with six spots still in play – four of them in Europe – there is still plenty of play off drama left. Here’s how the rest of the qualification for the tournament is shaping up.
Canada, Mexico, United States.
: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland.
: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia.
: Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan.
: New Zealand.
Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia.
Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
: A total of 54 nations (Russia are suspended) have been slugging it out for a place at next year’s finals. The winners of 12 groups have qualified. Four more nations – Ireland possibly being one - will also go through via the 16-team play-offs. The play-offs are made up of the second placed teams along with the four best Nations League group winners who did not finish in the top two in their qualifying group - Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland and North Macedonia.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Türkiye, Ukraine and Wales are the rest of the sides in the play-offs by finishing second in their qualifying groups.
The two remaining spots will be filled via inter-confederation play offs from the following:
: New Caledonia could remarkably reach the World Cup if they win the inter-confederation play-off. The French overseas territory not recognised by Fifa until 2004, will play in March’s intercontinental playoffs after losing the Oceania qualifying final.
: Bolivia could join the rest of their South American rivals in the World Cup if they win the inter-confederation play-off.
The three automatic qualification spots were taken by Curaçao, Haiti and Panama. Jamaica and Suriname go to the intercontinental playoffs as the two best runners-up.
: DR Congo beat Nigeria after a gripping penalty shootout to progress to the inter-confederation play-off.
: Eight nations have qualified directly, with Iraq dramatically reaching March’s intercontinental playoffs after beating United Arab Emirates 3-2 on aggregate, with a winning penalty scored in the 17th minute of stoppage time in the second leg in Basra.
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