Curacao become smallest nation to qualify for World Cup

The tiny Caribbean island of Curaçao has become the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup after drawing with Steve McClaren’s Jamaica.

The record was held by Iceland, which reached the 2018 finals, but its country is far bigger than Curacao, which has a population of just over 150,000 (similar to Cambridge or Huddersfield) and a land area of 171 square miles, smaller than the Isle of Man.

Former England boss McClaren resigned as Jamaica boss after his side, who needed a win in Kingston to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, were held to a goalless draw, including having an injury-time penalty overruled by VAR.

Curacao boss Dick Advocaat, who was not at the game for personal reasons, will become the oldest coach at a World Cup, aged 78, beating Otto Rehhagel’s record when he was in charge of Greece aged 71 in 2010.

Curaçao, 37 miles off the coast of Venezuela, only became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Ten years ago, they were 150th in FIFA’s world rankings. Now they are 82nd.

The expanded 2026 World Cup format, which features 48 nations instead of 32, along with the fact that hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States all qualify automatically, has given Curacao a much-improved chance as they become the fourth debutant at next summer’s tournament – joining Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, and Jordan. (BBC)