A country with a population equal to Binh Hung Hoa ward wins a ticket to the 2026 World Cup

Curacao with a population of about 185,000 (according to World Population), equivalent to Binh Hung Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City, has won a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals.

Curacao (blue shirt) played extremely resiliently against Jamaica - Photo: AFP

In the decisive match on the morning of November 19, the Curacao team had a 0-0 draw on the field of direct competitor Jamaica in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the CONCACAF region.

This result is enough for coach Dick Advocaat and his team to successfully defend the top spot in Group B with 12 points, 1 point more than Jamaica, thereby winning a ticket straight to North America next summer.

What makes Curaçao a fairy tale is its size. With an area of ​​only 444km ² and a population of around 185,500, they have surpassed Iceland’s record (which entered the 2018 World Cup with around 340,000 people) to become the country with the smallest population and area in history to qualify for a World Cup finals.

Curacao has a population equivalent to Binh Hung Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: REUTERS

To make it easier to imagine, the population of the whole country of Curacao is only equivalent to Binh Hung Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City (population about 187,950 people) after the merger.

The island nation’s success comes from a rather unique strategy, rooted in its unique history. Once part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, all Curacao citizens hold Dutch passports.

This opens up the opportunity for coach Dick Advocaat, who has led the Netherlands team three times, to build a squad consisting entirely of players born and raised in the Netherlands but with Curacao roots.

Curacao participates in the World Cup finals for the first time - Photo: REUTERS

Historically, Curacao faced the Vietnamese team in the King's Cup final in Thailand in 2029. At that time, coach Park Hang Seo's team lost to their opponent on penalties.

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THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quoc-gia-co-dan-so-ngang-phuong-binh-hung-hoa-gianh-ve-du-world-cup-2026-20251119104841113.htm