Nigeria missing as Curaçao makes history as the smallest country ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup

Curaçao officially wrote their name into football history, becoming the smallest country ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

With a population of just 156,115, the Caribbean island nation has surpassed Iceland, which was previously the smallest country to qualify for the tournament in 2018.

Curaçao’s qualification journey has been fueled by a blend of local talents and diaspora stars, many of whom play across the Netherlands, England, and other European leagues.

Their historic success is now being celebrated across the Caribbean and beyond. This milestone marks a new chapter in World Cup history.

However, Nigeria with over 250 million population will not be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to DR Congo in the final of the CAF intercontinental playoff.

Nigeria and DR Congo played a 1-1 draw during the regular period before the Leopards defeated the Super Eagles 4-3 in penalty shootouts.

With the result, Super Eagles will be missing the World Cup back-to-back with their last appearance in 2018.