Curaçao to Cape Verde: Small nations make big World Cup history

Fans of Curaçao react as they watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match between Jamaica and Curacao in Willemstad in Curaçao. The tiny Caribbean nation became the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup on Nov. 18

From tiny Curaçao, to troubled Haiti's remarkable comeback, discover how some of the smallest nations in the world are defying the odds to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

(Image credit: ANGEL BATTA)