Overview
- A 0-0 draw in Kingston against Jamaica sealed Curaçao’s first World Cup berth after a tense finale with three Jamaican shots off the woodwork and a stoppage-time penalty overturned by VAR.
- With an official population of 156,115, the island becomes the least populous World Cup qualifier on record, surpassing Iceland’s previous mark.
- Head coach Dick Advocaat, 78, missed the decisive match for family reasons and is set to become the oldest coach to appear at a World Cup.
- Curaçao’s rise reflects an expanded 48-team tournament and a roster built largely on talent developed in the Netherlands.
- Panama and Haiti also qualified on the night, bringing confirmed teams to 42 of 48, with the remaining six places to be decided in March play-offs, including an intercontinental mini-tournament in Mexico.