Curaçao has become the smallest-population nation ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup—alongside two other surprise qualifiers, Haiti and Panama.
The stage was set, and with history calling, Curaçao walked right through the door. The tiny island nation in the Caribbean has secured its place in the 2026 World Cup.
They topped Group B in the CONCACAF qualifiers to earn their spot. On the final matchday, they needed just a single point against Jamaica. In Wednesday morning’s match (Bangladesh time), they sealed qualification with a 0-0 draw.
According to data from Curaçao’s Central Bureau of Statistics published last January, the country—spread across 444 square kilometers—has a population of just 156,000. That makes them the least populated nation ever to reach a World Cup.
The previous record belonged to Iceland, who qualified for the 2018 World Cup with a population of around 350,000.
Curaçao is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It consists of the main island of Curaçao and the uninhabited islet of Little Curaçao. They are currently ranked 82nd in the FIFA rankings.
They finished the qualifiers unbeaten: three wins and three draws for a total of 12 points. In doing so, they finished above Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago—both former World Cup teams—and crushed Bermuda 7–0 along the way.
Their coach is Dick Advocaat, one of the most respected managers in world football. Over a 45-year coaching career, the 78-year-old has coached the Netherlands three times, along with Belgium, Russia, South Korea, and several clubs. He wasn’t present for the Jamaica match due to personal reasons, but his team completed the job in style.
Alongside Curaçao, Haiti and Panama also secured their World Cup spots from the region.
In Group C, Haiti defeated Nicaragua to reach the World Cup for the first time in 52 years. They previously played in only one edition—back in 1974.
Haiti’s qualification is nothing short of astonishing. The country is suffering near–civil war conditions due to armed gang conflicts. Around 1.3 million people have been displaced, famine is spreading, and they cannot host matches in their own country. Their “home” qualifiers were played in Curaçao. Their coach, Sébastien Migné, was appointed 18 months ago but has never been able to travel to Haiti because of security concerns. And yet, they overcame Honduras and Costa Rica to book their ticket.
Before the final round, Haiti trailed Honduras on goal difference. But on the last day, they beat Nicaragua 2–0, while Honduras were held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica.
Panama also overturned the odds. Before the final round, they trailed Suriname on goal difference. Panama beat El Salvador 3–0, while Suriname lost 3–1 to Guatemala.
Panama had previously played only one World Cup—the 2018 edition.
Though Jamaica and Suriname missed direct qualification, their hopes are still alive. Both teams have secured spots in the intercontinental playoffs.
The full list of six intercontinental playoff teams is now set: Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia, Congo, Iraq, and New Caledonia. In March, two of these teams will earn the final two tickets to the World Cup.
