Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: Curacao began its 2026 World Cup mission with a huge 7-1 defeat against Germany. However, despite the disappointment on the field, the Caribbean island nation has made history. They have been recognized by Guinness World Records as the country with the smallest population to qualify for the main stage of the World Cup. Guinness World Records said that Curacao, with a population of about 156,000, has qualified for the final stage of the World Cup, which is the lowest for any country so far. On this occasion, an official certificate was also handed over to the President of the Curacao Football Federation, Gilbert Martina. Curacao secured a place in the World Cup after a goalless draw with Jamaica in the CONCACAF qualifiers. The team achieved this historic success under the experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat.
Iceland previously held the record for the smallest population to play in the World Cup. The country of about 350,000 people caused a stir by participating in the 2018 World Cup. But the small island of Curaçao, measuring just 444 square kilometers, has put that record far behind. Curaçao also gave a memorable moment in the match against Germany. After falling behind, Livano Comenencia scored to equalize the match.
That was Curaçao's first goal in the main stage of the World Cup. However, they could not survive the German attack. The newcomers finally lost 7-1 after conceding one goal after another. Now Curaçao's goal is to turn things around. Their opponent is Ecuador next Saturday.
Since both teams lost the first match, the fight to win will be even more important. Ecuador also lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast. As a result, both teams will be on the verge of their first point or first victory in the World Cup in the second match.