There are still a few months left for the 2026 World Cup to start. In the meantime, the Caribbean Island nation of Curaçao has added a new record. It has become the country with the smallest population in the World Cup. The country has a population of only 150,000 and an area of 444 square kilometers. The country named Curaçao surprised Jamaica in the qualifying round and got its first World Cup in 2026.
The history of the country of Curaçao is not very long. From 1954 to 2010, it was part of the Netherlands. Since 2010, this country has been known as an independent autonomous state.
The coach of the Curaçao football team, Dick Advocaat, is now the oldest coach in history. At the age of 78, which has touched another record. This coach has previously served as the coach of the national teams of 8 countries.
However, most of the footballers in this team were born in the Netherlands. All of them have played for the country through family ties. They have built a strong squad in the team. Despite such a small population, there has been talk of making it to the World Cup. However, 4-time World Cup winner Italy has not yet made it to the World Cup stage, where such a small population will play directly in the 2026 World Cup. Curacao was ranked 150th in the FIFA rankings 10 years ago. Currently, the FIFA rankings are 82nd.
Cape Verde is one of the few countries to participate in the World Cup as a country with a small population. With a population of only 528,000. Located on the west coast of Africa, Cape Verde will play as the 2nd smallest team in the history of the World Cup.
Qatar participated in the last World Cup as the host team, with a population of only 3.1 million. This time they qualified directly for the World Cup by passing the qualifying round. In addition, various countries with a small population, including Uruguay, Croatia, and Panama, have participated in the World Cup, with a population of less than 5 million.
The Football World Cup is a tournament. Even big teams struggle to participate here. They have to pass the qualifying round to get to the main stage of the World Cup. Despite being a country with a small population, it has surprised the world by making it to the World Cup for the first time. Many expect this country, which only gained autonomy in 2010, to show its talent on the World Cup stage. Until June 2026, the dream of playing in the FIFA World Cup is fulfilled. The big dream of the small island nation is to perform well in the World Cup. What does it matter that the population is small, the dream of playing in the World Cup is going to be fulfilled next year.
