8 Smallest Countries to Ever Qualify For World Cup After Cape Verde’s Triumph
- Cape Verde have achieved the unthinkable, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their footballing history
- The Blue Sharks have become one of the smallest nations ever to reach the global stage, marking a historic milestone ahead of the 2026 tournament
- YEN.com.gh takes a look at eight of the tinniest countries that have made it to football’s grandest stage
Excitement is building as World Cup fever sweeps across the globe ahead of the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Although the qualification process is still ongoing, history has already been made after one of the smallest nations in football’s history secured its first-ever appearance at the global showpiece.
Source: Getty Images
Cape Verde, with a population of just 525,000, has defied all odds to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the very first time, making them the second-least populated nation ever to achieve this remarkable feat.
In light of this historic moment, YEN.com.gh, with insights from Planet Football, takes a look at the eight smallest countries to have earned a place on the world’s biggest football stage, each writing their own unforgettable chapter in World Cup history.
Smallest countries to qualify for World Cup
8. Uruguay (1.9 million)
Uruguay stands out as the most consistent qualifier on this list, and the smallest nation ever to lift the World Cup trophy.
The South American giants made history by winning the very first tournament in 1930, before reclaiming the title two decades later in 1950.
Despite boycotting the 1934 and 1938 editions, Uruguay’s football legacy remains unmatched for a country of its size, and their record as the smallest World Cup winner may never be broken.
7. United Arab Emirates (1.9 million)
The United Arab Emirates made their first and only World Cup appearance at Italia ’90, debuting before Asian powerhouses like Japan and South Korea.
Players were famously promised a Rolls-Royce for every goal scored, yet the incentive wasn’t enough; they lost all three group-stage matches against Colombia, West Germany, and Yugoslavia.
Despite their early exit, the UAE’s brief moment on football’s biggest stage remains a proud, if distant, memory.
6. Kuwait (1.5 million)
The 1982 World Cup in Spain marked Kuwait’s first and only appearance on football’s grandest stage, following the tournament’s expansion to 24 teams.
Drawn into a daunting group with England, France, and Czechoslovakia, Kuwait’s campaign is best remembered for one of the strangest moments in World Cup history, when Prince Fahad ran onto the pitch to protest a goal, convincing the referee to disallow France’s strike.
It remains Kuwait’s most iconic football memory, one unlikely to ever be topped.
5. Northern Ireland (1.4 million)
The smallest of the British nations, Northern Ireland’s World Cup history is defined by grit and remarkable underdog stories.
Their 1982 run remains legendary, defeating hosts Spain and reaching the second round, but their greatest feat came earlier, in 1958, when they reached the quarter-finals despite a population of just 1.4 million.
Though the glory days of George Best and Danny Blanchflower are long gone, the Green and White Army came heartbreakingly close again in 2018, narrowly missing out after a playoff defeat to Switzerland.
4. Trinidad & Tobago (1.3 million)
Trinidad & Tobago’s 2006 World Cup debut remains one of football’s most uplifting stories.
Despite exiting at the group stage with just one point, the Soca Warriors captured hearts by holding a star-studded Sweden side, led by Zlatan Ibrahimović and Henrik Larsson, to a draw and making England and Paraguay fight for their victories.
For a nation of just 1.3 million, their spirited performance symbolised pride, resilience, and a dream fulfilled on the world stage.
3. Paraguay (860,000)
Paraguay hold the distinction of being the smallest South American nation ever to qualify for the World Cup finals.
With fewer than one million inhabitants at the time of their debut in the inaugural 1930 tournament, the South American side made history early on.
After a 15-year absence from the global stage, Paraguay have now sealed their return, earning a spot at their 10th World Cup following a stellar qualifying campaign, their last appearance being in 2010, when they were knocked out by eventual champions Spain.
2. Cape Verde (525,000)
Cape Verde, among the nine African teams, has written their name into football history as the second-smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, clinching their place with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Eswatini.
The win triggered scenes of pure joy both on the pitch and across the islands, as the nation of just over half a million people celebrated an unimaginable achievement.
To put it in perspective, every single U.S. state has a larger population than Cape Verde and even Northern Ireland, considered one of football’s smaller nations, has nearly three times as many residents.
Source: Getty Images
1. Iceland (340,000)
It’s almost unimaginable to think of a nation smaller than Iceland making it to the World Cup, yet the Faroe Islands could soon rewrite that narrative if they manage the impossible and qualify for the 2026 edition.
Iceland’s remarkable rise captured global attention when they stunned England at Euro 2016, a moment that fueled their historic run to the 2018 World Cup, which they were eliminated in the group stage, per the BBC.
With a population of just over 300,000, the tiny Nordic nation proved that even the smallest countries can shine on football’s biggest stage.
African nations that have qualified
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Africa’s road to the World Cup is heating up, as Ghana and four North African powerhouses have already sealed their spots on football’s biggest stage.
Each of these African teams sealed qualification in impressive style, underlining their superiority and steady form throughout the CAF World Cup qualifiers.
Source: YEN.com.gh
