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<p>For many in the West, the Cape Verde islands, located off the coast of West Africa, are primarily recognized as a tropical getaway, thanks to a surge in tourism in recent years. However, the nation is now making headlines for its sporting accomplishments. Cape Verde has become the second smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, following a remarkable 3-0 victory over Eswatini in their latest qualifier, securing first place in their group and a ticket to the 2026 finals—surpassing notable teams like Cameroon.</p>
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<p>Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, Cape Verde has been striving for World Cup qualification, with their first attempt dating back to the 2002 tournament. The exhilarating final whistle this week ignited wild celebrations at the National Stadium, which has a capacity of 15,000. With a population of merely 525,000, Cape Verde now ranks as the second smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup, set to make their debut in North America next summer. Curious about the other smallest nations? According to <em>Transfermarkt</em>, here are the ten smallest nations to have qualified for a World Cup since World War II, based on population at the time, with each country listed only once.</p>
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<h2>The Smallest Nations to Qualify for the World Cup</h2>
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<p>Leading the list is Iceland, which made history by qualifying for its first World Cup in 2018 with a population of just 352,000. Although they were eliminated in the group stage, they notably managed to secure a draw against Argentina, led by Lionel Messi. Following Cape Verde in second place, with their population of 525,000, is Trinidad and Tobago. This Caribbean nation qualified for the 2006 World Cup, boasting a population of only 1.3 million and was also eliminated in the group stage. In fourth place is Northern Ireland, which reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup with a population of around 1.4 million.</p>
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<p>Fifth on the list is Paraguay, which qualified for the 1950 World Cup with a population of just 1.5 million. Kuwait takes the sixth spot, with a population of 1.7 million, having qualified for the 1982 World Cup. The United Arab Emirates ranks seventh, having qualified for the 1990 World Cup with a population of 1.9 million. Slovenia comes in eighth, with a population of merely 2 million during the 2002 World Cup. Ninth place holds Uruguay, who qualified for the 1950 World Cup with a population of 2.2 million and went on to win the tournament. Finally, rounding out the top ten is Jamaica, which qualified for the 1998 World Cup with a population of 2.6 million.</p>
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