EPL Report
ClubsArsenalChelseaEvertonLiverpoolMan CityMan UtdNewcastleNottingham ForestTottenhamWest Ham
  • FTLLATL 1–2 FCB
  • FTLLCEL 0–0 LEV
  • FTLLVIL 2–0 GET
  • FTPLMUN 4–4 AVL
  • FTPLCRY 1–3 LIV
  • FTPLSUN 1–0 CHE
  • FTPLIPS 1–2 BOU
  • FTPLBHA 2–0 BRE
  • FTPLNOT 3–1 MCI
  • LLATH v ESP
  • PLMCI v FUL
  • LLALA v DEP
  • PLCHE v LEE
  • PLAVL v SUN
  • PLBOU v NOT
  • PLTOT v IPS
  • PLCOV v CRY
  • LLRAY v VAL
  • UCLGAL v AVL
  • UCLFK v LIN
  • UCLRMA v PSV
All scores
Premier League

Smallest Nation at the World Cup: How Curaçao Made History in 2026

By eplreport 4 min read

Curaçao fans celebrate as the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup

Curaçao became the smallest nation ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup when a goalless draw in Kingston on 18 November 2025 sealed top spot in their CONCACAF qualifying group. With a population of roughly 156,000, the Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela went on to play at the 2026 finals in North America, and the story of how they got there is one of the most remarkable in recent international football.

How the smallest nation booked its ticket

The decisive night came at the National Stadium in Kingston, where Curaçao needed only to avoid defeat against Jamaica. A tense 0-0 draw was enough to finish unbeaten at the top of Group B in the final round of qualifying and secure automatic entry to the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Remarkably, they did it without their head coach on the touchline. Dick Advocaat had flown home to the Netherlands for family reasons before the game, leaving his staff to see the job through.

The same evening was historic across the region. Haiti beat Nicaragua 2-0 to win Group C and reach their first World Cup since 1974, while Panama thrashed El Salvador 3-0 to qualify for only the second time. You can read more about Haiti’s return in our piece on Haiti ending a 52-year wait.

Smaller than Iceland

Before Curaçao, the record belonged to Iceland, who reached the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Iceland has more than twice as many inhabitants, which shows just how far the bar has been lowered. Curaçao’s national statistics office put the island’s population at 156,115 at the start of 2025, fewer people than live in many mid-sized European towns.

That makes Curaçao the smallest nation by population to appear at the finals, a title that will be hard to take away. The expanded 48-team format opened the door for more debutants, but the squad still had to earn its place over two long qualifying rounds.

A perfect start, then a nervy finish

The campaign began with a flawless second round. Curaçao won all four group games, beating Barbados 4-1, Aruba 2-0, Saint Lucia 4-0 and Haiti 5-1 to top Group C with 12 points and reach the final round.

The final round was tighter. A goalless draw away to Trinidad and Tobago was followed by a five-goal win over Bermuda, and the team stayed unbeaten all the way to the deciding night in Jamaica. CONCACAF’s own report on the qualification captures what the result meant on the island.

Much of the squad has a Dutch football background. Curaçao was part of the Netherlands Antilles, and many players were born or developed in the Netherlands before choosing to represent the island. We looked at that link in more detail in Curaçao’s Dutch connection.

A coaching drama before the finals

Qualification did not bring stability straight away. In February 2026, Advocaat stepped down to care for his daughter, and the federation appointed fellow Dutchman Fred Rutten to lead the team at the World Cup.

Results under Rutten were poor, including a 2-0 friendly defeat to China. Advocaat was brought back in an advisory role in March, and in May, after senior players pushed for his return, Rutten stood aside and Advocaat was reinstated as head coach. At 78, he became the oldest head coach ever to lead a team at a men’s World Cup.

What happened at the 2026 World Cup

Curaçao were drawn in Group E with Germany, Ecuador and Côte d’Ivoire, about as tough a welcome as a debutant could get.

  • Germany 7-1 Curaçao (14 June, Houston): A heavy opening defeat, but Livano Comenencia wrote his name into the history books by scoring the country’s first ever World Cup goal.
  • Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao (20 June, Kansas City): The smallest nation at the tournament earned its first World Cup point, with goalkeeper Eloy Room making 15 saves as Ecuador peppered his goal.
  • Curaçao 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire (Philadelphia): Nicolas Pepe scored twice to end the adventure. You can find the full match report on CONCACAF’s website.

Curaçao finished fourth in the group with one point. The Bacuna brothers were central to everything: Juninho Bacuna led the team in dribbles and duels across the three games, while Leandro Bacuna had the most shots.

Why the smallest nation’s run still matters

On paper, one point from three games is a modest return. In context, it was a triumph. A country of about 156,000 people held Ecuador, scored against Germany and competed on the biggest stage in the sport less than a year after qualifying.

The run has also raised the profile of players with Premier League and Championship connections in the Caribbean, and it gives smaller football nations across CONCACAF a model to follow: organised qualifying campaigns, a strong diaspora network and experienced coaching.

For more background on the squad and the island’s football culture, see our guide what to know about Curaçao at the 2026 World Cup, our look at how they were punching above their weight, and our full list of every country that qualified for the 2026 World Cup.