The smallest countries ever to qualify for the World Cup | OneFootball

The Faroe Islands have given themselves a chance of making World Cup history in 2026, after exceeding expectations in their qualification campaign.

Currently ranked 136th in the world by FIFA, the island nation stunned the Czech Republic on Sunday to win their third match in succession. Incredibly, the Faroe Islands are just a point outside a play-off spot, with one game to go. The fixtures are against them heading into the final games, with group leaders Croatia up next in November in Rijeka. The second-placed Czechs, meanwhile, host pointless Gibraltar.

However, there remains a possibility of qualification for next summer’s tournament. Should they achieve the feat, the Faroe Islands would become the smallest country ever to reach the finals. Their 55,000 population is less than the capacity of six Premier League stadiums, while only 15,000 of those are men under the age of 40.

The smallest countries ever to qualify for the World Cup finals by population

5. Kuwait (1.5 Million in 1982)

The expansion of the 1982 World Cup from 16 to 24 teams increased qualification spots, leading to five first-time entrants. Arguably the most intriguing were Kuwait, as the 1980 Asian Cup winners qualified ahead of nations including South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and New Zealand to reach the tournament. With a population of just 1.5m people, Kuwait were up against it, but gave a decent account of themselves.

Kuwait held Czechoslovakia in their opener, as Faisal Al-Dakhil s goal cancelled out a penalty from Antonin Panenka (Yes, him). A 4-1 defeat to France followed, before a spirited 1-0 loss to England, courtesy of a Trevor Francis goal.

4. Northern Ireland (1.4 Million in 1958)

Northern Ireland reached the World Cup for the first time in 1958, a tournament remembered for a 17-year-old Pelé’s emergence in Brazil’s victorious side.

The Green and White Army impressed in the group stage, with Wilbur Cush earning a 1-0 win over Czechoslovakia in their opener. Defeat to Argentina followed, but a 2-2 draw with West Germany earned Northern Ireland a play-off rematch against Czechoslovakia. Peter McParland scored twice to earn a 2-1 win and progress, though their tournament ended against France in the second round.

3. Trinidad and Tobago (1.3 Million in 2006)

Trinidad and Tobago reached the World Cup for the first time in 2006, with the Soca Warriors drawn to face England, Paraguay, and Sweden in the group stage.

Their squad boasted a wealth of names familiar to English football, including ex-Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, Kenwyne Jones, Shaka Hislop, and Stern John. They held Sweden to a goalless draw in their opener, but 2-0 defeats to England and Paraguay ended their tournament. Trinidad and Tobago returned home having failed to score a goal.

2. Paraguay (925,000 population in 1930 – Estimate)

Data dating back to the first-ever edition of the World Cup is difficult to confirm, but several football statisticians consider Paraguay one of the smallest nations to reach the finals. At the time of their appearance in 1930, Paraguay had an estimated population of just 925,000 people. The South American nation went out in the first round, but have since returned on several occasions. Their best run came between 1998 and 2006, when the Guaraníes reached four straight tournaments.

After missing the last three editions, Paraguay – with a population now exceeding 6m – have reached the 2026 World Cup.

1. Iceland (335,000 in 2018)

Iceland hold the record as the country with the smallest population ever to reach a World Cup.

The nation had impressed at the 2016 European Championship, eliminating England in the last 16 in a memorable upset, but struggled to replicate that showing in Russia. Iceland earned a point against Argentina in a solid start, but losses to Nigeria and Croatia condemned them to a group-stage exit.

Read – World Cup 2026: Every qualified team so far

See more – The international footballers with the best goal-per-game ratio

Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok