Curaçao achieves historic fairytale finish as Jamaica holds draw to secure World Cup spot.
In a jaw-dropping finale to the Concacaf qualifying campaign, Curaçao – with a minuscule population of 156,000 – has become the smallest country in history to qualify for the World Cup. The island nation secured their place in next year's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico after a nail-biting 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston.
This monumental victory marked an extraordinary culmination to Curaçao's campaign, one that had all the makings of a fairytale story. Despite facing significant odds as the underdogs, the Blue Wave finished top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one point ahead of their West Indian rivals.
Jamaica launched a desperate assault on Curaçao's goal in the second half, hitting the woodwork three times and sending the crowd into raptures. Even a last-ditch penalty attempt by Jamaica was dramatically overturned by the video assistant referee, paving the way for Curaçao to claim a hard-fought victory.
The result has sent shockwaves through the football world, with many hailing Curaçao as one of the greatest qualifying campaigns in history. The team's achievement is all the more remarkable given their minuscule population and limited resources.
Haiti also secured their spot at the World Cup with a convincing 2-0 win over Nicaragua, while Panama claimed their second appearance at the tournament with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over El Salvador.
As Curaçao prepares to make history on the world stage, they will be doing so as the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. The previous record was held by Iceland in 2018, and Curaçao's remarkable achievement has sent ripples of excitement throughout the football community.
In a jaw-dropping finale to the Concacaf qualifying campaign, Curaçao – with a minuscule population of 156,000 – has become the smallest country in history to qualify for the World Cup. The island nation secured their place in next year's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico after a nail-biting 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston.
This monumental victory marked an extraordinary culmination to Curaçao's campaign, one that had all the makings of a fairytale story. Despite facing significant odds as the underdogs, the Blue Wave finished top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one point ahead of their West Indian rivals.
Jamaica launched a desperate assault on Curaçao's goal in the second half, hitting the woodwork three times and sending the crowd into raptures. Even a last-ditch penalty attempt by Jamaica was dramatically overturned by the video assistant referee, paving the way for Curaçao to claim a hard-fought victory.
The result has sent shockwaves through the football world, with many hailing Curaçao as one of the greatest qualifying campaigns in history. The team's achievement is all the more remarkable given their minuscule population and limited resources.
Haiti also secured their spot at the World Cup with a convincing 2-0 win over Nicaragua, while Panama claimed their second appearance at the tournament with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over El Salvador.
As Curaçao prepares to make history on the world stage, they will be doing so as the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. The previous record was held by Iceland in 2018, and Curaçao's remarkable achievement has sent ripples of excitement throughout the football community.
can't believe curaçao did it!!! smallest country to qualify for the world cup EVER! their underdog story is so inspiring 
what a way to cap off an amazing qualifying campaign 
gotta give it up to the blue wave team and their fans, they're on fire 
what's next gonna be some country with like 10 ppl makin' a go of it? 
and its not even about that kinda luck, they played SOOOO good and deserve every bit of this!!! 
lets give it up for the blue wave!!! 
- Curaçao with their tiny population of only 156,000 making it to the World Cup for the first time ever? It's just mind-blowing 
! And can you imagine what this means for their nation? The excitement must be electric 
! Jamaica's draw wasn't enough to stop Curaçao, but it's still an incredible achievement either way 
I mean, they had like a population of 156k and still managed to beat Jamaica 0-0... talk about underdogs who came out on top 
I'm getting chills just thinking about it. The way they finished group B with 12 points is insane too! 
. It's like, what does that even look like? Is it just one person's dream multiplied by a thousand or is it something more profound than that? Like, how do we even get to that point where a small country can qualify for the World Cup? Does it have something to do with the fact that football brings people together regardless of size or resource? 
they must be beyond stoked, i would be too if i was a curaçao footballer 
I'm beyond stoked for these underdog heroes!!! 156k people making history is just WOW 
You guys are setting the bar super high for everyone else 
️! Their historic qualification is truly a testament to the power of perseverance and determination 
. Their achievement is not just a remarkable feat for Curaçao but also a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and a bit of fairy tale magic 
. Bring on the Blue Wave's World Cup debut! 
. Congrats to Curaçao for making history and inspiring so many people around the world 
. I'm hyped for Curaçao, can't wait to see how they'll hold up against the big teams 