Suriname World Cup 2026 squad: Henk ten Cate's first selection ahead of the World Cup qualifying inter-confederation play-offs

The Suriname World Cup 2026 squad could well actually happen – with the nation two matches away from North America.

World Cup 2026 will be blessed with several debut nations, primarily a consequence of the expanded 48-team tournament – but in Suriname's case, they've been boosted by the availability of dual nationals, meaning that Dutch-Surinamese players have increasingly entered the fold. Some of the Netherlands' greatest players would have qualified if they were playing today: or now, simply having the talent to take Suriname to the United States, Mexico and Canada is a welcome change and coincides nicely with the larger finals tournament.

Suriname and Bolivia will face one another in Mexico for the right to play Iraq in the final of inter-confederation play-offs Path 2. The winning team at the end of March will come up against Senegal, Norway and France – one of the World Cup favourites – in Group I in the summer.

Suriname have never played at the World Cup finals and this play-off route is the closest they've been to one by far. Natio have participated in qualifying for every World Cup since 1962 bar one, so to say the Bolivia match is the biggest in the team's history would be an understatement.

They finished first in their group in the second round of CONCACAF qualifying and progressed to the inter-confederation play-offs along with Jamaica by finishing second to Panama in the third round.

New head coach Henk ten Cate has selected a squad based entirely in Europe and the Middle East. Just eight are still playing in the Netherlands, while two – Huddersfield Town defender Radinio Balker and Leeds United striker Joel Piroe – are plying their trade in west Yorkshire.

The most-capped player in Ten Cate's first squad is Al-Kholood defender Shaquille Pinas, who has played for Suriname 35 times but was born in Rotterdam and raised at Feyenoord. Like many of his teammates, Pinas has represented the Netherlands at under-age levels.

Squad

Suriname World Cup 2026 squad: The March selection

• GK: Warner Hahn (Hammarby)
• GK: Etienne Vaessen (Groningen)
• GK: Jahnilo Wiegel (Houtvenne)
• DF: Shaquille Pinas (Al-Kholood)
• DF: Dion Malone (Telstar)
• DF: Myenty Abena (Gaziantep)
• DF: Ridgeciano Haps (Venezia)
• DF: Djevencio van der Kust (Heracles)
• DF: Anfernee Dijksteel (Kocaelispor)
• DF: Stefano Denswil (Kayserispor)
• DF: Liam van Genderen (RKC Waalwijk)
• DF: Radinio Balker (Huddersfield Town)
• DF: Djavan Anderson (Al-Ittifaq)
• DF: Yannick Leliendal (Volendam)
• MF: Kenneth Paal (Antalyaspor)
• MF: Denzel Jubitana (Atromitos)
• MF: Immanuel Pherai (Elversberg)
• MF: Tjaronn Chery (NEC)
• MF: Jean-Paul Boetius (RKC Waalwijk)
• MF: Melayro Bogarde (LASK)
• FW: Gleofilo Vlijter (Ujpest)
• FW: Sheraldo Becker (Mainz)
• FW: Richonell Margaret (Go Ahead Eagles)
• FW: Gyrano Kerk (Antwerp)
• FW: Jay-Roy Grot (Odense)
• FW: Joel Piroe (Leeds United)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

• March 26, 2026: Bolivia v Suriname, Estadio BBVA, Guadaloupe, Mexico

Recent results

• November 18, 2025: Guatemala 3-1 Suriname, Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera, Guatemala City, Guatemala
• November 13: Suriname 4-0 El Salvador, Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname
• October 14: Panama 1-1 Suriname, Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City, Panama
• October 10: Suriname 1-1 Panama, Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname
• September 8: El Salvador 1-2 Suriname, Estadio Cuscatlan, San Salvador, El Salvador
• September 4: Suriname 0-0 Panama, Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname

Manager

Who is Suriname's manager?

Formerly Suriname's assistant manager and blessed with extensive experience as a manager in the Netherlands and the Middle East, Henk ten Cate was appointed as the successor to Stanley Menzo at the end of last year.

Ten Cate stepped in after Menzo's resignation and is aiming to lead Suriname to their first World Cup. He's no stranger to big matches – as the assistant manager of Barcelona and Chelsea, he is acquainted with the latter stages of the Champions League and the top end of two of the strongest leagues in the world.

This is the well-travelled gaffer's first time in the international hotseat, five years on from his last head coach role in the club game.

Suriname's Star Player

Who is Suriname's star player?

With respect to the more experienced and more assimilated professionals who represent Suriname and have taken them as far as the play-offs, Leeds United striker Joel Piroe has been brought in for a reason.

The former Swansea City man took his one-time switch to Suriname at the start of 2026 and has been named in Ten Cate's squad for what he will hope becomes two play-off matches. Along with on-loan Mainz forward Sheraldo Becker, Piroe is operating at the highest level in the squad.

The 26-year-old, who qualifies for Suriname through his father, has played a minor role for Leeds in the Premier League this season but scored 19 times in 36 starts in the Championship in 2024-25. Ten Cate will be looking for exactly that kind of impact.

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