THE tiny Caribbean island of Curaçao has made history by becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, sealing their place after a dramatic 0–0 draw with Steve McClaren’s Jamaica.
The previous record belonged to Iceland, who reached the 2018 World Cup, but Curaçao, home to just 150,000 people and covering 171 square miles, smaller than the Isle of Man—has now claimed the title.
The result prompted McClaren’s resignation as Jamaica coach. His team needed a win in Kingston to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, but a stoppage-time penalty that could have sent them through was overturned by VAR, leaving the Reggae Boyz stuck in the play-offs.
Curaçao’s team was led by veteran coach Dick Advocaat, who missed the match for personal reasons but will arrive at the 2026 World Cup as its oldest manager ever, aged 78, surpassing Otto Rehhagel’s previous benchmark of 71 with Greece in 2010.
Located 37 miles off Venezuela, Curaçao only became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010 after the breakup of the Netherlands Antilles. A decade ago, they were ranked 150th in the world. Today they sit at 82nd.
The expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, combined with automatic qualification for hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States, opened the door for Curaçao, who will be one of four debutants next summer, joining Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.
“It’s crazy—one of the biggest things that will ever happen to Curaçao,” said midfielder Juninho Bacuna, formerly of Huddersfield, Rangers, and Birmingham.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live before the match, he said: “A few years ago you couldn’t even imagine this. To now be part of that dream coming true is incredible.”
Curaçao completed qualifying unbeaten, winning seven of their ten matches.
Their dream nearly collapsed deep into stoppage time when substitute Jeremy Antonisse was ruled to have fouled Isaac Hayden in the box.
But after a VAR review, Salvadoran referee Iván Barton overturned his original penalty call to the fury of the home crowd.
Curaçao will be joined at the World Cup by Haiti returning for the first time since 1974 and Panama through the Concacaf qualifiers. Jamaica must now navigate the Intercontinental play-offs.
