Check Out the Smallest Countries That Made It to the FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup Trophy was on display during the Los Angeles stop of The FIFA World Cup 26 Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at LA Live in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP)

For big football nations like Brazil, Germany, and Argentina, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup is almost a given. But for smaller countries, it is a huge achievement to make it to the world's biggest football event.

Many tiny nations have beaten the odds to reach this level, showing that size does not always matter in football.

According to a report by Planet Football on Friday, the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup is Curaçao. They secured a spot in the 2026 tournament with a population of just 185,000. This Caribbean island broke Iceland's previous record and made history in football.

Iceland, which has about 340,000 people, was the previous record holder after qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. They had already made waves by reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 before their first World Cup.

Cape Verde also made headlines as they qualified for the 2026 World Cup. This island nation has around 528,000 residents, making it one of the smallest countries ever to reach the finals.

Paraguay was one of the smallest countries in the World Cup when they played in the first tournament in 1930. At that time, estimates showed their population was about 860,000, even though they now have over seven million people.

Trinidad and Tobago's qualification for the 2006 World Cup is one of the Caribbean's proudest moments. With a population of about 1.3 million, the Soca Warriors gained respect worldwide after drawing with Sweden in their first tournament.

Northern Ireland also stands out on this list. Back when they played in the World Cup, their population was around 1.4 million. They had some memorable moments, including a famous win against Spain in 1982.

Kuwait was one of the first Asian countries to qualify for the World Cup in 1982. Back then, the Gulf nation had around 1.5 million people.

Three countries share the last spots on this list, each with populations of around 1.9 million during their World Cup appearances. Slovenia qualified for their first World Cup in 2002 after gaining independence from Yugoslavia. Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930 with less than two million residents. The United Arab Emirates also made it to the finals in 1990, being one of the first Gulf countries to compete at this level.

Here are the 10 smallest countries that qualified for the World Cup, listed by their populations:

Curaçao, 185,000

Iceland, 340,000

Cape Verde, 528,000

Paraguay, 860,000

Trinidad and Tobago, 1.3 million

Northern Ireland, 1.4 million

Kuwait, 1.5 million

Slovenia, 1.9 million

Uruguay, 1.9 million

United Arab Emirates, 1.9 million

These countries show that success in football is not just about how many people you have. With good development, skilled players, and hard work, even small nations can shine on the biggest stage in football.