The Dutch island nation in the Caribbean, Curaçao, have made history as the smallest nation to ever qualify to compete at the FIFA World Cup.
The tiny nation with a population of 156, 115 people as of January 2024 according to the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics, beat out African nation Cape Verde to the mark of the smallest nation to make it to the World Cup after securing a drama filled goalless draw against Jamaica in Jamaica.
Despite Jamaica creating a ton of chances and hitting the woodwork twice, Curaçao hung on to record the draw and top Group B with 12 points to progress.
All members of Curaçao’s starting unit were born in the Netherlands.
Veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat etched his name in the history books as the coach to lead Curaçao to the World Cup for the first time.
Panama topped Group A while Haiti, having played all games away from home due to instability in the country, topped Group C to qualify to next year’s World Cup from the CONCACAF region.
The likes of Costa Rica and Jamaica will compete in the intercontinental playoffs for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
