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Curaçao, the little nation that could, earns World Cup bid and makes history

Related Topics: Curaçao

With a population just north of 150,000, the island off the coast of Venezuela becomes the smallest country to qualify for soccer’s global showcase.

November 19, 2025 at 7:32 p.m. EST

Curaçao qualified for its first men's World Cup on Tuesday, alongside Concacaf peers Haiti and Panama, which will make their second tournament appearances next year. (Ricardo Makyn / AFP via Getty Images)

Curaçao, an island nation with a population about the size of Macon, Georgia, became the smallest country to qualify for the men’s World Cup late Tuesday, punching its ticket to the tournament next summer in North America alongside regional peers Haiti and Panama.