Previously, the record was held by Iceland, which reached the finals in 2018.
But Iceland is significantly larger than Curacao, which has a population of just over 150,000—comparable to cities like Cambridge or Huddersfield—and covers an area of 171 square miles, smaller than the Isle of Man.
McClaren resigned as Jamaica’s coach after his team, needing a win in Kingston to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, ended up in a goalless draw, which included a penalty decision overturned by VAR in injury time.
Curacao’s coach, Dick Advocaat, who missed the match for personal reasons, will become the oldest coach to participate in a World Cup at the age of 78, surpassing Otto Rehhagel’s record when he managed Greece at 71 in 2010.
Curacao, located 37 miles off the coast of Venezuela, became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010 following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
The expanded format of the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams instead of 32, along with automatic qualifications for hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has significantly enhanced Curacao’s chances as they prepare to be one of four debutants at next summer’s tournament, alongside Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.
“It’s unbelievable and would be one of the biggest events for Curacao,” said midfielder Juninho Bacuna, a former player for Huddersfield, Rangers, and Birmingham, before the match.
In their qualifying campaign, Curacao won seven out of 10 matches and remained unbeaten.
Their fairytale almost ended in the fourth of five added minutes when Curacao substitute Jeremy Antonisse appeared to foul Isaac Hayden, prompting the El Salvador referee Ivan Barton to award a penalty.
However, after being advised by VAR officials, the referee reviewed the incident on a touchline screen and reversed his decision, much to the crowd’s dismay.
Curacao will be joined at the World Cup by Haiti and Panama from the CONCACAF qualifiers, while Jamaica will have to compete in the intercontinental play-offs.
Previously, the record was held by Iceland, which reached the finals in 2018.
But Iceland is significantly larger than Curacao, which has a population of just over 150,000—comparable to cities like Cambridge or Huddersfield—and covers an area of 171 square miles, smaller than the Isle of Man.
McClaren resigned as Jamaica’s coach after his team, needing a win in Kingston to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, ended up in a goalless draw, which included a penalty decision overturned by VAR in injury time.
Curacao’s coach, Dick Advocaat, who missed the match for personal reasons, will become the oldest coach to participate in a World Cup at the age of 78, surpassing Otto Rehhagel’s record when he managed Greece at 71 in 2010.
Curacao, located 37 miles off the coast of Venezuela, became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010 following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
The expanded format of the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams instead of 32, along with automatic qualifications for hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has significantly enhanced Curacao’s chances as they prepare to be one of four debutants at next summer’s tournament, alongside Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.
“It’s unbelievable and would be one of the biggest events for Curacao,” said midfielder Juninho Bacuna, a former player for Huddersfield, Rangers, and Birmingham, before the match.
In their qualifying campaign, Curacao won seven out of 10 matches and remained unbeaten.
Their fairytale almost ended in the fourth of five added minutes when Curacao substitute Jeremy Antonisse appeared to foul Isaac Hayden, prompting the El Salvador referee Ivan Barton to award a penalty.
However, after being advised by VAR officials, the referee reviewed the incident on a touchline screen and reversed his decision, much to the crowd’s dismay.
Curacao will be joined at the World Cup by Haiti and Panama from the CONCACAF qualifiers, while Jamaica will have to compete in the intercontinental play-offs.
