Curaçao, the smallest country ever to play at the World Cup | OneFootball

We anticipated it a few days ago, after their 7-0 thrashing of Bermuda; Curaçao was just one match, one draw, one point away from qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and playing in a World Cup for the first time in their history. But the odds were against them—they were playing against the Jamaica National Team in Kingston. The Reggae Boyz, had they won, would have been the ones to qualify, but in the end, it was a 0-0 draw that unleashed euphoria among the Caribbean side.

And while the 2026 World Cup will feature teams like Haiti, Cape Verde, Jordan, or Uzbekistan, Curaçao's qualification will make the former Dutch colony the smallest country in World Cup history, with an area of just 444 km² and a length of only 60 kilometers. Likewise, it is the least populated country ever to play in a World Cup, with a registered population of around 156,000 inhabitants.

In the 2026 World Cup, Curaçao will become the smallest country ever to play in a World Cup.

Curaçao, the national team without players born in their own country that will play in the 2026 World Cup

As if that weren’t enough, Curaçao’s utopian qualification was achieved with an almost entirely foreign-born lineup, but with roots and ancestors tying them to what was once known as the Netherlands Antilles. After its dissolution, Curaçao reemerged and, in 2011, joined FIFA to begin competing internationally.

The qualification was achieved with players mostly born in the Netherlands, hailing from cities like Rotterdam, Breda, Groningen, or Nijmegen. And, in fact, they did it without their coach, Dick Advocaat, in the stadium. Due to family matters, he had to return home and missed the historic match.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.