Curaçao with a population of just 155,000 qualifies for the World Cup! A true fairy tale becomes reality

Curaçao, one of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, made history by clinching a World Cup spot. The celebrations of the Curaçao national team after the decisive match quickly went viral on social media.

Curaçao travelled to Jamaica for a critical qualifying match. Head coach Dick Advocaat, dealing with a family issue, was unable to be on the touchline. Despite the pressure, Curaçao managed to secure a 0–0 draw—a result that proved enough.

In the dying moments of the match, with five minutes added on, the referee awarded Jamaica a penalty. However, after a VAR check and an on-screen review, the decision was overturned, sparking huge relief among the Curaçao players and staff.

With the draw, Curaçao finished the group as leaders and secured their place at the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The island nation also broke a notable record: they surpassed Iceland—whose population is around 350,000—to become the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup finals tournament.

One of the most interesting details about the team is that none of the players were born in Curaçao; all were born in the Netherlands.

Curaçao’s squad includes familiar names from Turkish football as well:

Riechedly Bazoer (Konyaspor)

Juninho Bacuna (Gaziantep FK)

Leandro Bacuna (Bandırmaspor)

Additionally, left-back Sherel Floranus previously played for Antalyaspor.