The small African island nation of Cape Verde defeated Eswatini 3-0 on Monday to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.
Cape Verde, with a population smaller than the U.S. state of Vermont, is the second smallest country to compete in the Men’s World Cup since the first edition in 1930.
Let’s take a look at the smallest countries in World Cup history, based on their population at the time of their participation in the tournament.
iceland
Iceland, with a population of just over 350,000, qualified for the tournament in Russia in 2018, becoming the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup.
It was two years after the team famously defeated England and reached the quarter-finals of the 2016 European Championship.
In Russia, Iceland drew with Argentina but lost to Croatia and Nigeria, leaving them bottom of their World Cup group.
cape verde
The island nation off the coast of West Africa has a population of approximately 525,000 people and is ranked 70th in the FIFA men’s world rankings.
Cape Verde finished first in the African qualifying group, ahead of Cameroon, one of the continent’s soccer powers, and qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
The country, which won independence from Portugal 50 years ago, has participated in the African Cup of Nations four times, reaching the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2023.
That number is by far the smallest of the countries that have so far qualified for next year’s World Cup (USA, Mexico, Canada).
paraguay
When it competed in its first World Cup in 1930, the South American country had an estimated population of just under 1 million people.
Paraguay lost to the United States and then to Belgium, and were eliminated from the first round.
The Paraguayans will qualify for their ninth World Cup next year, having secured the last of six direct qualifying spots for South America.
trinidad and tobago
The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago qualified for their first and only World Cup in Germany in 2006 after winning an international play-off.
With a population of 1.3 million, it was the smallest country in the competition by a slight margin.
Trinidad and Tobago drew with Sweden but lost to England and Paraguay, finishing bottom of the group.
He hasn’t been back to the World Cup since.
Northern Ireland
When Northern Ireland competed in the 1958 World Cup, its population was estimated at 1.4 million.
The team defeated Czechoslovakia in the group stage, lost to Argentina, and drew with Germany. They were defeated by France in the final tournament.
Northern Ireland also participated in the World Cup in 1982 and 1986.
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