Curacao fans react while watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying soccer match between Jamaica and Curacao at Willemstad in Curacao. The small Caribbean nation on November 18 became the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup.
ANGEL BATTA/AFP via Getty
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ANGEL BATTA/AFP via Getty
BOGOTA, Colombia — Few stories exemplify the magic of next year’s FIFA World Cup as much as Curacao, a small Caribbean nation that defied history, geography and all expectations to reach world soccer’s biggest stage.
With 42 of the 48 spots to participate in the 2026 World Cup now filled, the tournament is already shaping up to be a historic tournament, with several other underdog countries defying the odds to participate in the event co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer.
While several major soccer teams from Europe, Africa and Asia failed to qualify, including Nigeria, China, India, Greece, Serbia and Hungary, several smaller nations made international headlines by securing their place in next summer’s competition, some for the first time.
From Curacao to Cape Verde, here are some of the minnows who have earned their way to the 2026 World Cup
Curacao
Until now, the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao was better known for its turquoise liquor and sunny beaches than for its soccer exploits. But after drawing 0-0 with Jamaica on Tuesday, the former Dutch colony set a historic record by becoming the least populous country to ever reach the FIFA World Cup.
Home roughly 150,000 and located in the southern Caribbean, just off the coast of Venezuela, it has overtaken Iceland as the smallest country to participate in the world’s most prestigious football tournament.
For comparison, next summer’s World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jerseywhich has a capacity of 82,500 people, more than half of the population of Curaçao.
To overcome the limitations of a small population, Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean nation, recruited mainly Dutch-born players for its World Cup team. The country became an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010 following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
“Curaçao, like many examples of small countries, has been able to exploit the diaspora, contacting anyone who might have a distant relative linked to their country,” explained Carl Worswick, an independent sports journalist and football expert.
Haiti
Another underdog to reach the international tournament is Haiti, who qualified for the first time since 1974, despite numerous obstacles at home; this Caribbean country is facing a serious security and humanitarian crisis that has affected all sectors of society, including football players.
“They are experiencing the crisis on a large scale… They have not been able to train or play in Haiti for years because of gang violence,” said Harold Isaac, a Haitian journalist based in Port-au-Prince.
Haiti’s coach since 2024, Frenchman Sébastien Migne, has never been to this country, where gangs control 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince.
Given the turmoil many Haitians are living in, qualifying for the World Cup was a beacon of hope, according to Isaac: “It really was a kind of unimaginable boon, morally, for the country.”
Supporters cheer in the streets of Port-au-Prince on November 18, 2025 as Haiti celebrates its victory over Nicaragua and its qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
CLARENCE SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images
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CLARENCE SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images
Cape Verde
Cape Verde, a small Atlantic archipelago off the coast of West Africa, qualified for the World Cup for the first time last month by beating the southern African nation of Eswatini 3-0. Prior to Curaçao’s qualification, Cape Verde was the second least populated country to reach the World Cup, with a population of around 600,000.
The former Portuguese colony also recruited from its diaspora, notably with central defender Roberto Lopes, born in Ireland to an Irish mother and a Cape Verdean father, on its team.
Panama
Another small nation, Panama, will make its return to the World Cup after its 2018 debut at the tournament.
The Central American nation of four and a half million people beat El Salvador on Tuesday to earn their place in the competition. In 2018, Panama finished last in their group with zero points and will now have a chance to redeem themselves.
One of the main reasons why several small nations in the Americas qualified for the tournament is because Canada, Mexico and the United States host it. As hosts, these countries automatically qualify, leaving more room for other nations in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football to earn a spot.
Curacao players celebrate qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after their match against Jamaica in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
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Collin Reid/AP
What’s next for minnows?
While social media is flooded with videos of street parties and parades as countries celebrate their qualifiers, the road to the World Cup is still long.
“I think everyone assumes that, great, that can only be a good thing… but there is a lesson to be learned, it’s not always a positive one,” football pundit Worswick said.
He stressed the importance of national football associations investing funds in their players and teams, citing the high-profile scandals that have marred some countries’ World Cup debuts. Worswick explained that while qualifying for the World Cup puts a country on the map, it often also brings complex issues regarding team finances, preparation and pressure at home.
But for countries like Haiti, a simple qualification may be enough: “People are suffering and they’ve been suffering for years,” Isaac says, “and they’re just asking for hope, and that’s what the team gave them.”
