Curaçao Makes History as Smallest Nation in FIFA World Cup

Curaçao have scripted one of global football’s most extraordinary stories by becoming the smallest nation in history to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. A tense 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston on the final night of the Concacaf qualifiers was enough to secure their place at the 2026 World Cup — a moment that has stunned the footballing world.

With a population of just 156,000 and covering only 444 square kilometres, the Caribbean island nation has broken Iceland’s record as the smallest country to reach a World Cup finals. Iceland had qualified for the 2018 tournament with more than double Curaçao’s population.

Curaçao entered the match knowing a draw would be enough, but what followed was a gritty, resilient defensive performance. Under relentless Jamaican attacks, the Blue Wave absorbed pressure for 90 tense minutes to earn the point that changed their footballing destiny.

Their qualification is even more remarkable considering that Curaçao remained unbeaten throughout the entire qualifying campaign, delivering dominant victories including a commanding 7-0 win over Bermuda. They topped Group B with 12 points—one ahead of Jamaica—despite the absence of veteran coach Dick Advocaat, who missed the decider due to a family emergency.

Curaçao became a FIFA member only in 2010 after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. Fifteen years later, they are preparing to walk onto the world’s biggest football stage. They will learn their group-stage opponents when the draw takes place on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

The night also marked historic breakthroughs for two other regional teams:

Haiti

Haiti secured their first World Cup berth in 52 years, defeating Nicaragua 2-0 in Willemstad — a city that has been serving as their temporary home amid turmoil back home.

Panama

Panama qualified for a second consecutive World Cup after a dominant 3-0 win over El Salvador to finish atop Group A.

Curaçao, Haiti and Panama’s qualification underlines an unforgettable chapter for Caribbean and Central American football — a chapter defined by resilience, ambition and history-making performances.