The tiny Caribbean nation of Curaçao — approximately half the size of the city of Canberra — has become the smallest country ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
A nerve-shredding finale to the CONCACAF qualifying campaign saw Curaçao — with a population of just 156,000 and a land mass of 444 sq km — squeeze into next year's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston on Wednesday afternoon (AEDT).
Curaçao, whose veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat was forced to miss the game due to a family issue in the Netherlands, were left celebrating a historic result.
The team known as the Blue Wave finished undefeated at the top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one point clear of Jamaica.
Curaçao is by far the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, which is being expanded to 48 teams next year for the first time.
The previous smallest country to qualify for the tournament was Iceland in 2018, with a population of around 350,000.
Curaçao finally booked their place after an extraordinary finale at Kingston's National Stadium, where Jamaica — coached by former England manager Steve McClaren — launched a furious onslaught as they chased the win which would guarantee them a World Cup place at their opponent's expense.
Haiti, meanwhile, who last appeared in the World Cup in 1974, also completed an improbable qualification campaign with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua on Wednesday.
Ironically, Haiti secured their decisive qualification victory in Curaçao, where the team have been forced to play their home qualifiers due to unrest in their homeland.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
