Curacao qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with the population of a small Indian town

Curacao have produced one of the most remarkable stories of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The previous record for the smallest nation to reach a World Cup finals belonged to Iceland in 2018, a country of around three hundred and eighty nine thousand people. Curacao, by contrast, have just over one hundred and fifty thousand residents, a population similar to Cambridge or Huddersfield, or even a small town in India or China.

Even countries with populations of more than one billion, such as India and China, have not managed to qualify for a World Cup. You can argue that those countires have set their interest in other sports but football is such a global sport and qualifying for the FIFA World Cup means a lot. China, a nation that shines in many sports and consistently ranks high in the Olympic medal table, have qualified for the FIFA World Cup only once. India, whose Olympic record remains weak and whose main sporting pride comes from cricket, have never reached a FIFA World Cup.

Yet this small Caribbean Dutch island has done the impossible. Curacao topped a group that included higher ranked teams. It is an astonishing achievement and a genuine underdog story.

Their qualification came on a night filled with drama. Former England manager Steve McClaren resigned as Jamaica boss after his team, needing a win in Kingston to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, were held to a goalless draw by Curacao. They even had an injury time penalty overturned by VAR, adding to the heartbreak. While Jamaica were left stunned, Curacao were celebrating history. Dick Advocaat's philopsphy is simple. If you can't win, at-least make sure not to lose. They needed just a point from this game and they got it. Jamaica will play the Inter-continental play off in March.

Curacao head coach Dick Advocaat was not at the match for personal reasons, but he still made headlines. At seventy eight he will become the oldest manager ever to appear at a World Cup finals, breaking Otto Rehhagel’s record when he led Greece at seventy one in 2010.

Dick Advocaat has been central to this remarkable journey. The veteran Dutch coach, appointed in January 2024, is now leading his eighth national team after previous spells with the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia and Iraq. His experience is vast. He guided the Netherlands to the quarter finals of the 1994 World Cup and led South Korea at the 2006 finals. At club level he has managed PSV Eindhoven, Rangers, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Sunderland and Feyenoord.

Their improvement has been astonishing. Ten years ago Curacao were ranked 150th in the world. Today they are eighty second and heading to football’s biggest stage. The expanded World Cup format, increasing from thirty two to forty eight teams, along with the automatic qualification of hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States, opened the door a little wider. Curacao stepped through it with conviction and will join Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and Jordan as debutants at next summer’s finals. An incredible story indeed.