 "Curacao has qualified for the World Cup 2026 with a population of just 1,56,000. Image: Reuters")
Haiti defied the odds to book a place at next year’s World Cup on Tuesday and they will be joined by both Panama and Curacao, who became the smallest country to ever win a berth at the finals.
The three clinched top spots in their respective groups to advance from the North and Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region to the 48-team finals in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
Haiti beat Nicaragua 2-0 in Curacao, where they have been forced to play their home fixtures because of the strife in their country, to finish top of Group C, while Panama’s 3-0 home win over El Salvador ensured they ended up as winners of Group A.
Curacao held Jamaica to a goalless draw away to stay one point ahead of their hosts at the top of Group B, despite being without veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, who returned to Europe at the weekend for family reasons.
A self-governing part of the Netherlands with a population of 156,000, the Caribbean island nation is easily the least populous country to go to the World Cup, beating the previous record held by Iceland with its 350,000 inhabitants.
Curacao lived dangerously in Kingston, where Jamaica were awarded a last-gasp penalty four minutes into stoppage time only for the referee to change his decision after consulting VAR.
Jamaica, coached by former England manager Steve McClaren, needed a win to qualify but hit the woodwork three times in the second half and Curacao’s team, made up entirely of players born in the Netherlands with Antillean roots, held out to secure a World Cup debut.
Haiti coach has never been to country
Haiti’s qualification was remarkable given that armed gangs have taken control of almost all of the capital, Port-au-Prince, in a conflict that has forced some 1.3 million people from their homes and fuelled famine-level hunger.
The levels of danger in Haiti are such that their coach, Sébastien Migne, has not been there since being appointed 18 months ago but the Frenchman has nevertheless managed to engineer a fairytale qualification – their second after a first appearance in 1974.
Haiti started the final round of fixtures on Tuesday behind Honduras on goal difference, but goals from Louicious Deedson and Ruben Providence lifted them to 11 points, while Honduras drew 0-0 away at Costa Rica and finished on nine.