Curaçao has made history by becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, securing its spot alongside Haiti and Panama in a groundbreaking CONCACAF qualification round for the 2026 tournament.
The Caribbean island, home to just over 150,000 inhabitants, surpassed Iceland’s record of 405,000 residents set at the 2018 World Cup. Curaçao clinched its spot with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica.
That match was played in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Tuesday due to damage inflicted on Jamaica by Hurricane Melissa in late October.
Haiti also secured its first-ever World Cup berth, defeating Nicaragua 2-0 in Willemstad, Curaçao. Haiti’s national team has been forced to play its home matches in Curaçao due to ongoing instability in its own country.
Panama completed the trio of qualifiers by beating El Salvador 3-0, ensuring their participation in the expanded global showcase.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams and will be hosted by three nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Curaçao’s squad is led by 78-year-old Dutch coach Dick Advocaat. He previously managed the Netherlands national team in three separate stints and has coached South Korea, Belgium, and Russia.
In contrast, Suriname narrowly missed out on its own historic qualification, losing 3-1 to Guatemala. This defeat ended their bid to reach the World Cup finals.
Suriname, a founding nation of CONCACAF in 1961, was competing in the final phase of qualifiers for the first time since 1978.
Haiti’s qualification was aided by Honduras’ 0-0 draw with Costa Rica, a result that eliminated Honduras’ hopes of advancing.
Haitian midfielder Leverton Pierre, who plays for Portuguese club Vizela, started the decisive match. Costa Rica’s forward Álvaro Zamora, from Ac. Viseu, also started but was substituted after 57 minutes in their match.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19.