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Four Nations Debut at World Cup; Curaçao Smallest Ever Qualifier

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22:11UTC

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are confirmed as first-time World Cup qualifiers with the completion of the 48-team field on 31 March. Curaçao, a Caribbean island with a population of approximately 160,000, is the smallest nation by population ever to reach a World Cup.

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Key takeaway

Curaçao's 160,000 people make them the smallest nation ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan were confirmed as World Cup debut nations on 31 March, completing the 48-team field alongside Iraq and DR Congo . Among them, Curaçao stands apart: a Caribbean island with a population of approximately 160,000, it is the smallest nation by population in World Cup history, with fewer residents than the city of Salford.

Four debutants across three confederations: Cape Verde via CAF, Curaçao via CONCACAF, Jordan and Uzbekistan via AFC. Their qualification is the most visible evidence that the expanded format changes who gets to participate, not just how many. Whether smaller nations can be competitive in June is a separate question, but their qualification is genuine and hard-won.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

Four countries will be playing at a World Cup for the first time: Cape Verde (from West Africa), Curaçao (a Caribbean island), Jordan (Middle East), and Uzbekistan (Central Asia). The most remarkable is Curaçao. It is a small island with roughly 160,000 people, making it the smallest country by population ever to qualify for a World Cup. For context, that is fewer people than the city of Oxford. Their qualification is only possible because the World Cup expanded from 32 to 48 teams for this tournament.

Sources:FIFA / World Cup Wiki·FIFA / World Cup Wiki

Mentions:Cape Verde →Curaçao →Jordan →Uzbekistan →World Cup →Iraq →DR Congo →AFC →

First Reported In

Update #4 · 48 Teams, Four Debutants, One Missing Champion

FIFA / World Cup Wiki· 1 Apr 2026

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