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

Curacao made history when they rescued a 0-0 draw against Jamaica on Tuesday.

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

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

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

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

According to the Central Statistics Office of Curaçao, the country has a population of 156,115 people as of last January. Before Curacao broke the record, Iceland held the title of the smallest nation to participate in a World Cup.

When Iceland participated in the World Cup in 2018, its population was 352,000. Cape Verde, which, like Curacao, qualified for the World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history, has the third smallest population of all competing nations.

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A member of the Curacao 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)

Curacao players celebrate qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a soccer match against Jamaica. The match 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 have ever competed in the World Cup:

1. Curacao, 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, 2006 World Cup, population: 1.3 million
5. Northern Ireland, 1958 World Cup, population: 1.4 million
6. Paraguay, 1950 World Cup, population: 1.5 million
7. Kuwait, 1982 World Cup, population: 1.7 million
8. United Arab Emirates, 1990 World Cup, population: 1.9 million
9. Slovenia, World Cup 2002, population: 2 million
10. Uruguay, 1950 World Cup, population: 2.2 million

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