The five smallest countries to ever qualify for the Football World Cup

Island nation Cape Verde has made history by qualifying for the first ever FIFA World Cup after a 3-0 win over Eswatini in Monday’s qualifying match.

This made Cape Verde the second smallest country in terms of population after Iceland to reach its largest football stadium since the tournament began in 1930.

Take a look at the five smallest countries participating in the FIFA World Cup:

1. Iceland: With just over 350,000 inhabitants, Iceland became the smallest country ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup when it made its debut at the 2018 edition in Russia.
2. Cape Verde: The country, located off the coast of West Africa, has a population of approximately 525,000 and is ranked 70th in the world. It secured qualification by finishing first in the group with 23 points from 10 matches, four ahead of second-place Cameroon. Cape Verde is by far the smallest country to have qualified so far for next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
3. Paraguay: The South American country, which had a population of just under a million when it played in the first World Cup in 1930 and exited the group stage, will return for its ninth appearance next year after reaching the final of South America’s six direct qualifying spots.
4. Trinidad and Tobago: The Caribbean country made its only World Cup appearance in 2006 in Germany, when with a population of 1.3 million it was the smallest country ever to participate in the tournament. It exited the group stage after finishing last in the group and has not returned since.
5. Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland, with an estimated population of 1.4 million, reached the 1958 World Cup, where it defeated Czechoslovakia, lost to Argentina and drew with Germany in the group stage before being eliminated by France in the knockout round. The team also qualified for the World Cup in 1982 and 1986.

(With input from AP)

Published on October 14, 2025