Cape Verde rewrite history! The smallest country ever to participate in the World Cup

This is a huge celebration for the entire nation.

Details: After a resounding 3-0 victory over Eswatini, the Cape Verde national team has secured a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup for the first time in the country’s history.

But that’s not the only milestone. With a land area of just 4,033 km², Cape Verde has become the smallest country ever to participate in the World Cup finals.

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Until now, this record belonged to Trinidad and Tobago, who made their World Cup debut in 2006 with an area of 5,128 square kilometers.

Cape Verde has also become the second smallest World Cup participant by population, with only 593,000 inhabitants. The top spot remains with Iceland, who competed at the 2018 World Cup with a population of 353,000.

Reminder: Madness! History! Bravo! Cape Verde qualify for World Cup for the first time ever