Curaçao: The Caribbean island becomes the smallest country ever to compete at the World Cup.

Curaçao achieved an unprecedented sporting dream: thanks to a 0-0 draw away to Jamaica, the Caribbean island became the smallest nation in the world, by population, to qualify for a World Cup finals. An iconic achievement that rewrote the history of international football.

First place in the group and unbeaten 

Finishing top of Group B of the qualifiers Concacaf, without suffering even a single defeat, Curaçao has mathematically secured participation in next summer's World Cup.

According to data from the Central Statistical Office of Curaçao, the country has 156.115 inhabitants, numbers that make the undertaking even more extraordinary.

An absent but record-breaking CT

Making the success even more sensational is the absence of the coach on the bench Dick AdvocaatThe 78-year-old, a prominent figure in international football and former manager of the Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, and Russia, had to return to the Netherlands for family reasons.

Despite this, the team managed to pull together and get the decisive point. Attorney-at-law, moreover, will establish a unique record: it will be the oldest coach ever to lead a national team in a World.

An international squad 

Curaçao's squad is largely made up of players who play in the Dutch leagues.

Among these stands out Armando Obispo, defender of PSV Eindhoven. Also present are players with Italian experience, such as Light Comment, who left Juventus Next Gen last summer after two seasons. A diverse and international group that has built a perfect path.

Iceland's record erased

Until now, the least populous nation to have reached a World Cup was Iceland, with just over 350.000 inhabitants, qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Curaçao, with less than half the population, now rewrites this record, becoming the smallest demographic reality ever to achieve world qualification.