HIBAPRESS – Sports
The Curaçao national team took an unprecedented step after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals, becoming the smallest country in terms of population to ever qualify for the World Cup.
It is worth mentioning that Curaçao, which is an island in the Caribbean Sea and part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has a population of only about 156,000 people, making it the country with the lowest population density that secures a place in the global tournament.
Qualification after an exciting match against Jamaica
The Curaçao national team qualified after a tense match with Jamaica, where the match ended in a goalless draw, but it was enough to top their group and qualify directly for the World Cup finals.
Breaking the record for the smallest participating country
With its qualification, Curaçao broke the record for the least populous country to reach the World Cup, surpassing Iceland, which previously held this title, after reaching the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a population of no more than 340,000 people.
And the country of Cape Verde, which also qualified for the 2026 World Cup, is considered the third smallest country in terms of population to reach the tournament, with a population of 525,000 people.
