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Curacao, a Caribbean island, has etched its name in history by becoming the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup.
The team's draw against Jamaica was enough to secure their passage to North America, just hours after Liverpool star Andy Robertson booked his spot at next year's tournament after Scotland's win against Denmark on Tuesday. With a population smaller than the English city of Milton Keynes, Curacao is certainly punching above its weight.
Curacao is not the first country to outperform its resources, though. The island will be sharing the stage with heavyweights like England, Brazil, and Argentina, and few would bet on the underrated team causing an upset.
However, history has shown that a small population and limited player pool do not prevent a nation from being fiercely competitive on the global stage. In other sports, too, teams with fewer people to choose from have emerged as world leaders.
When Curacao steps onto the World Cup pitch, there will likely be few recognizable faces among the nation's squad. Rewind to 2018, and little Iceland managed to hold Argentina to a draw; despite its tiny population, Iceland proved it could compete.
Here's a look at the smallest nations set to compete in next summer's World Cup - some of whom might just make it to the later stages.
10. Paraguay - 7 million
The South Americans are making a comeback after a 16-year hiatus. Paraguay was England's first opponents in 2006, losing by a narrow margin, but the country has demonstrated that its current squad is more than capable of holding its own.
Paraguay finished level on points with Colombia, Uruguay, and Brazil. The South American country lost to eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals back in 2010.
9. Norway - 5.6 million
Fear not, arguably the world's most prolific striker will be at the World Cup, with Erling Haaland's goals propelling his nation to the tournament. Since he burst onto the scene, he's been absent at major tournaments, but there will be no repeat after an impressive qualifying campaign.
Haaland topped the European goalscoring charts, netting 16 times in his country's eight qualifiers, helping Norway make only its fourth appearance at the World Cup. The country's best previous result was reaching the round of 16 in 1998.
8. Scotland – 5.5 million
It was a night to remember for Scotland in Glasgow, as the British nation needed to defeat Denmark to qualify for the tournament for the first time in 28 years, and did so thanks to two stoppage-time goals.
Scotland has made successive Euros but was waiting to make the World Cup, and it will have the likes of Scott McTominay leading its hopes when the team heads to North America. The Scots will hope to make history by progressing beyond the group stage.
7. New Zealand – 5.2 million
Despite their small population, the All Blacks have consistently dominated the rugby world.
However, New Zealand's soccer success has been less consistent; the country has only qualified twice for the World Cup, in 1982 and again in 2010, where the team remained unbeaten with three draws. Chris Wood was instrumental in New Zealand's qualifying campaign, netting nine goals and topping the scoring charts.
6. Panama - 4.5 million
Panama made its World Cup debut in 2018, where it was trounced by England in the group stages. Now, after topping its qualifying group, the country's back for another shot at glory. Panama's top scorers, Jose Fajardo and Jose Luis Rodriguez, both found the back of the net three times.
5. Croatia – 3.8 million
Croatia is one of the biggest overachievers in world soccer; it reached the semifinals in 1998 and 2022, and even made it to the final just eight years ago, losing out to France. More recently, the Croatians had Luka Modric orchestrating their midfield.
His performances in 2018 earned him the Ballon d'Or, and the veteran could feature in a fifth World Cup next summer. Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramaric was the country's top scorer in the qualifiers.
4. Uruguay – 3.3 million
Despite its modest population, Uruguay has won the World Cup twice, albeit back in 1930 and 1950. Since then, the country has still managed to produce some impressive performances.
In 2010, Uruguay reached the semifinals and boasted talents like Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Now, the country is guided by former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa, who will be aiming to have the South American team ready for next summer's tournament.
3. Qatar – 3.1 million
While Qatar participated in the last tournament, this time around, the country has earned its spot through merit.
In 2022, Qatar was included as the host but didn't make much of a splash on the pitch. After navigating a lengthy qualification process, which saw it top a group featuring the UAE and Oman, Qatar is hoping for a stronger performance this time.
2. Cape Verde – 528,000
If it wasn't for Curacao, Cape Verde might have been the main talking point.
The country managed to stun Cameroon and top its qualifying group, securing its debut in North America. Based on land size, this island nation off the west coast of Africa is the smallest ever to compete at the finals and the second-smallest in terms of population.
1. Curacao – 185,000
Curacao secured the draw it needed against Jamaica to guarantee its place at the World Cup.
Ranked 82nd globally, the country's goalless draw sparked wild celebrations. Curacao amassed 12 points from six matches in a group that also included Trinidad and Tobago, who participated in the 2006 tournament. Curacao kept four clean sheets in its six games.
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