Curaçao, a tiny Caribbean island nation, has etched its name in football history. With a population of just 150,000, the nation has become the smallest country ever to qualify for the main stage of the FIFA World Cup.
The island secured its spot in the 2026 World Cup by topping Group B in the CONCACAF qualifiers. Needing only a single point against Jamaica in the final match, Curaçao earned a 0-0 draw to seal their historic qualification.
Record-Breaking Achievement for a Tiny Nation
Covering just 444 square kilometers and home to roughly 156,000 people, Curaçao surpassed Iceland’s record to become the smallest nation ever to compete in the World Cup. The team went undefeated in ten matches, winning seven along the way.
Curaçao’s coach, Dick Advocaat, could not be present for personal reasons. At 78, he now holds the record for the oldest coach in World Cup history, surpassing Greece’s Otto Rehhagel, who was 71. Advocaat, a veteran manager of eight national teams including the Netherlands and South Korea, set World Cup qualification as his goal when taking charge in 2024.
Players and Legacy
Most of Curaçao’s squad hail from the Netherlands, representing the nation through family heritage. Key players include Joshua Brenne (Livingston), Arjani Martha (Rotherham), Sanche Hansen (Middlesbrough), and Tahit Chong (Sheffield United).
Team stalwart Juninho Bacuna expressed pride in this unprecedented achievement:
“𝑨 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐, 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒂ç𝒂𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒑. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚’𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚. 𝑵𝒐𝒘, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒂ç𝒂𝒐 𝒋𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓.”
From the CONCACAF region, Haiti and Panama also booked their World Cup spots. Haiti returns to the World Cup for the first time since 1974 after defeating Nicaragua 2-0, while Jamaica will now enter an intercontinental playoff.
Also Read: After 22-Year Victory, Hamza-Jamal Earns Tk 2 Crore Recognition Bonus
