Curaçao becomes the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup by population size

Curaçao made history when they saved a 0-0 draw against Jamaica on Tuesday.

For the first time ever, they qualified for the World Cup. They also became the smallest nation by population size to ever qualify for a World Cup.

They finished as the only unbeaten nation in the qualifying tournament, finishing top of Group B with 12 points. They made history despite not having head coach Dick Advocaat on the bench.

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Advocaat missed the match because he was in the Netherlands for family reasons.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics on Curaçao, last January the country had a population of 156,115 people. Before Curaçao broke the record, Iceland previously held the title of the smallest nation to ever reach the World Cup.

When Iceland came to the World Cup in 2018, their population was 352,000. Cape Verde, which like Curaçao qualified for the World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history, has the third smallest population size of any competing nation.

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A member of the Curaçao team celebrates qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a soccer match against Jamaica in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (Collin Reid/AP Photo)

Curaçao’s players celebrate qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a soccer match against Jamaica. The fight took place in Kingston, Jamaica on November 18, 2025. (Collin Reid/AP Photo)

Here is a list of the 10 smallest nations by population size to ever compete in the World Cup:

1. Curaçao, World Cup 2026, population: 156,115
2. Iceland, World Cup 2018, population: 352,000
3. Cape Verde, World Cup 2026, population: 525,000
4. Trinidad and Tobago, World Cup 2006, population: 1.3 million
5. Northern Ireland, World Cup 1958, population: 1.4 million
6. Paraguay, World Cup 1950, population: 1.5 million
7. Kuwait, World Cup 1982, population: 1.7 million
8. United Arab Emirates, World Cup 1990, population: 1.9 million
9. Slovenia, World Cup 2002, population: 2 million
10. Uruguay, World Cup 1950, population: 2.2 million

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