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

Alfie Pannell

November 19, 2025 / 12:54 pm

BOGOTA, Colombia — Few stories capture the magic of next year's FIFA World Cup quite like Curaçao—a small Caribbean nation that has defied history, geography, and every expectation to reach the biggest stage in global soccer.

With 42 of the 48 spots to compete in the 2026 World Cup now filled, the tournament is already shaping up to be a historic one, with several other underdog nations defying the odds to play at the event jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada next summer.

While several major European, Africa and Asian soccer teams failed to qualify, including Nigeria, China, India, Greece, Serbia, and Hungary, multiple small nations have made global headli

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