The tiny Caribbean nation of Curacao secured their historic berth in the FIFA World Cup finals, becoming the smallest country ever to qualify for the tournament, according to a report from NDTV Sports Desk.
The country, known as the ‘Blue Wave’, achieved the feat following a 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston, concluding a “nerve-shredding finale to the CONCACAF qualifying campaign.”
Curacao, currently ranked 82nd in the FIFA rankings, finished top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one point clear of Jamaica.
Their population of just 156,000 starkly contrasts with large nations that struggle to qualify, such as India, whose capital Delhi has a population roughly 140 times that of Curacao.
The previous smallest country to qualify was Iceland in 2018, with a population of around 350,000.
Curacao’s veteran Dutch coach, Dick Advocaat, was forced to miss the game due to a family issue in the Netherlands.
The match was fraught with tension as Jamaica, coached by Steve McClaren, launched a furious assault, hitting the woodwork three times in the second half.
The dramatic climax saw Jamaica awarded a penalty in stoppage time after a sliding tackle, but the call by Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton was “dramatically overturned” by VAR after a review.
This allowed .the Caribbean islanders to hold on to the result and book their historic place in the tournament, which expands to 48 teams next year.