Historic Night: Curacao Join Haiti and Panama in 2026 World Cup Line-Up
Curacao have become the smallest nation ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, securing their place at the 2026 finals after a tense 0–0 draw with Jamaica in Kingston. The Caribbean island, with a population of just over 150,000, surpasses Iceland’s 2018 record as the smallest World Cup nation.
Jamaica, coached by former England manager Steve McClaren, needed a win to qualify but were denied late when an injury-time penalty was overturned by VAR. McClaren resigned immediately after the match.
Curacao’s achievement caps a remarkable rise. A decade ago they were ranked 150th in the FIFA rankings; today they stand at 82nd. The expanded 48-team World Cup and automatic places for hosts Canada, Mexico and the USA opened a clearer path, but Curacao still earned their spot by going unbeaten in 10 qualifiers, winning seven.
The team is led by veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, 78, who will become the oldest coach in World Cup history. Advocaat, managing his eighth national team, was absent from the match for personal reasons but has overseen the side’s transformation since taking over in 2024.
Curacao’s squad includes several Dutch-born players with island heritage — among them Joshua Brenet, Tahith Chong, Sontje Hansen and Ar’jany Martha — alongside locally born stars such as Juninho Bacuna, who described qualification as “one of the biggest things that will ever happen to Curacao”.
Curacao join Haiti and Panama as Concacaf qualifiers, while Jamaica head into the Intercontinental play-offs. For Curacao, who only became an autonomous country in 2010, the qualification marks a fairytale rise from football obscurity to the global stage.