Making History! Curaçao, a 150,000-Population Island, Tops Group to Qualify for First-Ever World Cup

Curaçao secured a 0-0 away draw against Jamaica in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers, clinching the group top spot and direct qualification for the 2026 USA, Canada & Mexico World Cup.

After the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, Curaçao established an independent football association and officially inherited the football legacy of its predecessor.

This marks Curaçao’s first-ever qualification for the World Cup finals. The Caribbean island nation, with a population of approximately 150,000—less than half of Iceland’s (400,000), the previous smallest World Cup participant—becomes the least populous region to qualify for the World Cup in history.

It also becomes the first team whose entire squad was not born in the region they represent.