Second round of World Cup qualifying underway

Favourites perform largely as expected, yet Cayman Islands dominate the headlines

- JAMES NALTON

The Cayman Islands were the unexpected story of the opening games in the second round of 2026 World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF region, as events on and off the pitch led to joy and disappointment in equal measure for the British Overseas Territory.

All teams involved will have a long time to dwell on these results, as the next set of games won’t be played until June 2025. The Cayman Islands will have more to ponder than most after an eventful international window for the Caribbean islands, who went into this qualifying phase as one of the lowest-ranked teams in the region (197th).

A dramatic 91st-minute goal from 18-year-old Joshwa Campbell, against the second-highest-ranked nation in Group A, Antigua & Barbuda, gave the Cayman Islands a late1-0 victory and sparked wild celebrations in George Town. It was the first time they had won a World Cup qualifying game and also their first clean sheet since the 2019 Nations League, but the jubilationfollowing this historic win soon turned to disappointment as US visa issues prevented them from travelling to Cuba for their second game in the group.