"The tiny Caribbean island of Curacao has become the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup after drawing with Steve McClaren's Jamaica. The record was held by Iceland, who reached the 2018 finals, but their country is far bigger than Curacao, which has a population of just over 150,000 (similar to Cambridge or Huddersfield) and a land area of 171 square miles, smaller than the Isle of Man."
"Former England boss McClaren resigned as Jamaica boss after his side, who needed a win in Kingston to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998, were held to a goalless draw, including having an injury-time penalty overruled by VAR. Curacao boss Dick Advocaat, who was not at the game for personal reasons, will become the oldest coach at a World Cup, aged 78, beating Otto Rehhagel's record when he was in charge of Greece aged 71 in 2010."
Curacao qualified for the 2026 World Cup after drawing with Jamaica, becoming the smallest nation ever to do so. The island has a population just over 150,000 and a land area of 171 square miles. Former England manager Steve McClaren resigned after Jamaica, who needed a win, were held to a goalless draw with an injury-time penalty overturned by VAR. Dick Advocaat, absent for personal reasons, will be the oldest World Cup coach at 78. Curacao joined the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010 and rose from 150th to 82nd in FIFA rankings. The expanded 48-team format aided Curacao’s path; they finished qualifying unbeaten with seven wins in ten matches.
Read at www.bbc.com
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