Curaçao certified for the 2026 World Cup for the primary time on Tuesday. The island nation, which has a inhabitants of about 156,000 folks, is the smallest nation to qualify for the event, in accordance with the Related Press. Iceland was beforehand the smallest nation to qualify, having a inhabitants of over 350,000.
Curaçao certified for the World Cup for the primary time in its historical past
On Tuesday, Curaçao completed the qualifying stage in a 0-0 draw in opposition to Jamaica. The nation received each sport on this stage, together with in opposition to Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Barbados, Aruba, Saint Lucia and Haiti. Curaçao scored 15 targets throughout the Concacaf qualifying, in accordance with FIFA.
Curaçao is a constituent island nation that’s a part of the Netherlands. It gained autonomy 15 years in the past and was previously known as the Netherlands Antilles. This implies a number of of Curaçao’s gamers, in addition to this 12 months’s coach, hail from the Netherlands. Joshua Brenet beforehand performed for the Netherlands in a 2016 World Cup qualifying sport, whereas Tahith Chong was born in Curaçao and is a former Manchester United youth participant.
Since August, the crew has been given permission from FIFA to alter eligibility guidelines and recruit gamers who beforehand competed for the Netherlands at youth or Beneath-21 stage.
Dutch coach Dick Advocaat is main Curaçao into the 2026 World Cup. It’s his third time teaching for the event. He beforehand coached the Netherlands, which reached the quarterfinals in 1994, in addition to South Korea in 2006.
“I feel we deserve this,” a Curaçao supporter instructed Reuters, in accordance with NBC Information. “It’s time for us to have fun proper now.”
Curaçao will discover out their group stage on Dec. 5 throughout a draw which shall be made on the Kennedy Heart in D.C.
Haiti certified for the World Cup for the primary time since 1974
Curaçao shall be joined by Caribbean nations Haiti and Panama within the 2026 World Cup. On Tuesday, Haiti received 2-0 in opposition to Nicaragua and has beforehand disqualified Honduras and Costa Rica. The primary and solely time Haiti participated within the World Cup was in West Germany in 1974, in accordance with ESPN.
As a result of present upheaval and violence in Haiti, Haiti’s coach, Sebastien Migne has not been capable of enter the nation regardless of being appointed to educate the crew 18 months in the past.
“It’s unbelievable that after 52 years’ absence, Haiti has certified for the most important footballing stage,” Migne stated throughout a Tuesday press convention, in accordance with Reuters. “I’m comfortable to make everyone proud and for my gamers as a result of they deserve it. I typically pushed the older gamers to the boundaries, however it wasn’t for nothing.”
About The Author
