Curaçao's Unprecedented Journey: Making Waves in FIFA World Cup History

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The tiny Caribbean nation of Curaçao — approximately half the size of the city of Canberra — has become the smallest country ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

A nerve-shredding finale to the CONCACAF qualifying campaign saw Curaçao — with a population of just 156,000 and a land mass of 444 sq km — squeeze into next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston on Wednesday afternoon (AEDT).

Curaçao, whose veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat was forced to miss the game due to a family issue in the Netherlands, were left celebrating a historic result.

Curaçao has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. In doing so, they surpassed Iceland, which previously held the record with a population of approximately 350,000 when they qualified in 2018.

Curaçao is by far the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, which is being expanded to 48 teams next year for the first time.

The remarkable journey of the team, affectionately known as the Blue Wave, saw them finish undefeated at the top of Group B. They secured 12 points from six matches, edging out Jamaica by a single point to clinch their spot in the tournament.

Football fans wearing blue shirts celebrate in a stadium

The decisive moment came during a gripping finale at Kingston’s National Stadium. Jamaica, guided by former England manager Steve McClaren, mounted a relentless attack in a bid to secure a World Cup berth at the expense of their opponents. However, Curaçao held their ground, ensuring their place in football history.

Curaçao finally booked their place after an extraordinary finale at Kingston’s National Stadium, where Jamaica — coached by former England manager Steve McClaren — launched a furious onslaught as they chased the win which would guarantee them a World Cup place at their opponent’s expense.

Haiti, meanwhile, who last appeared in the World Cup in 1974, also completed an improbable qualification campaign with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua on Wednesday.

Ironically, Haiti secured their decisive qualification victory in Curaçao, where the team have been forced to play their home qualifiers due to unrest in their homeland.