Curaçao national team reaches the World Cup for the first time and becomes the smallest country ever to qualify
The Curaçao national team has achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time, becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the tournament. The island is home to only about 156,000 people, allowing Curaçao to surpass Iceland’s previous record.
A key role in this achievement was played by the experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, who took charge of the team in January 2024.
The decisive moment came in the 6th round of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, in a match against Jamaica held on 19 November (Ashgabat time) at Independence Park Stadium in Kingston. The game ended in a goalless draw — 0:0, and this result secured Curaçao a direct spot at the World Cup.
As of today, 42 out of 48 teams that will take part in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico have been confirmed. They include:
USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde, South Africa, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, England, Senegal, Ivory Coast, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Scotland, Austria, Belgium, Curaçao, Panama, and Haiti.
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