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Curaçao Qualifies for 2026 World Cup, Smallest Nation Ever to Reach Finals

A 78-year-old Dutch coach’s overhaul rooted in diaspora talent underpinned the breakthrough.

Overview

  • A 0-0 draw in Kingston clinched qualification after a stoppage-time Jamaica penalty was overturned on VAR review.
  • Curaçao finished atop CONCACAF Group B with 12 points as the only unbeaten team, highlighted by a 2-0 home win over Jamaica and a 7-0 victory against Bermuda.
  • With a population near 156,000, Curaçao surpassed Iceland to become the smallest nation by population to qualify for a World Cup.
  • Head coach Dick Advocaat, 78, missed the match for family reasons and watched from The Hague, and he is set to become the oldest coach at a World Cup finals.
  • Most of the starting XI were born in the Netherlands as part of a deliberate diaspora strategy, and the result has prompted renewed criticism in Italy of the expanded 48-team format.