Curaçao becomes smallest nation by population to qualify for FIFA World Cup

Curaçao, a Caribbean island nation of just 156,000 people, will head to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the smallest country by population ever to qualify for the tournament, surpassing Iceland, which held the previous record with about 350,000 residents when it played in Russia 2018.

The breakthrough came on Tuesday after Curaçao secured a hard-fought 0-0 draw in Jamaica, finishing at the top of its four-team group ahead of Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda. The qualification capped a strategic overhaul that leaned heavily on the nation’s Dutch diaspora.

Since August, Curaçao has received FIFA approval to switch the national eligibility of five players who previously represented the Netherlands at youth levels — including defender Joshua Brenet, who once played a World Cup qualifier for the Dutch senior team.

Former Manchester United youth player Tahith Chong is among the few squad members actually born in Curaçao, which was part of the Netherlands Antilles until gaining autonomy 15 years ago.

The team’s rise has been guided by veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, now 78, who is set to lead a nation at the World Cup for the third time. Advocaat coached the Netherlands to the quarterfinals in 1994 and managed South Korea in 2006.

He missed Curaçao's decisive game in Kingston due to a family emergency in the Netherlands, but his young squad held on despite Jamaica striking the woodwork three times. A last-minute Jamaican penalty was overturned on video review, preserving Curaçao’s historic result.

The qualification brings global attention to players from lesser-known clubs, including Rotherham in England’s third tier, Turkey’s Bandirmaspor, and Abha in Saudi Arabia.

Curaçao will be joined at the 2026 World Cup by regional neighbours Panama and Haiti, both of which sealed their spots on Tuesday. Panama defeated El Salvador 3-0 to reach its second World Cup, while Haiti stunned favourites Honduras and Costa Rica to qualify for the first time since 1974.

The day’s results also set the field for the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico next March, featuring Jamaica, Suriname, Iraq, Congo, Bolivia and New Caledonia.