Curaçao becomes the smallest country to qualify for the Football World Cup

The small Caribbean country Curaçao became the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday, after a 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston.

Curaçao – with a population of just 156,000 – fought off a fierce attack from the Reggae Boyz in the second half and clinched the draw needed to secure a ticket to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The result capped a fairytale qualifying campaign for the team known as the ‘Blue Wave’, who finished top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one point ahead of Jamaica.

Curaçao is by far the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup, which will be expanded to 48 teams for the first time next year.

The previous smallest country to qualify for the tournament was Iceland in 2018, with a population of around 350,000.

Published on November 19, 2025