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After a spirited 0-0 draw at home to Croatia, Iceland are looking to create history and become the smallest nation to participate in a World Cup. Which got me thinking, who are the smallest countries to have participated in the World Cup. For which, after a lot of digging, I managed to find the answer to.
The list is in terms of the population of the nation and the size.
5. Jamaica
At fifth place is Jamaica, a country known more for its music and its flamboyant cricketers than its football. Although it is the fifth largest of the Caribbean islands, with a population of little over 2.7 million inhabitants, it is one of the smallest nations to qualify for the World Cup. Up until 1998, Jamaica were relatively unknown in the football arena, but their qualification for the World Cup in 1998 came as a shock to everyone.
They came into the World Cup without too many expectations and were handed out their first defeat in the World Cup by Croatia, who beat them 1-3. This was followed by a demoralizing 5-0 defeat to Argentina. However, in their final game against Japan, they redeemed some pride by beating Japan 2-1, which ensured that they finished 22nd out of a total 32 participants.
4. Kuwait
With a population of little of over 2 million, the Arab nation had their day in the sun when they qualified for the World Cup in 1982. They weren’t expected to get anything from a group which contained three European power houses in England, France and Czechoslovakia, but they managed to salvage a 1-1 draw against Czechoslovakia.
They were however soundly defeated in their other two games against England and France, the latter will go down in history as the game in which a France goal, which was initially allowed, was then disallowed after the intervention from a Sheikh. Ever since then, they haven’t had any sort of intervention, which has resulted in them not qualifying for the World Cup in the three decades since then.
3. Slovenia
With a population of little under 2 million, at the time of their qualification, Slovenia made history when they qualified for FIFA World Cup in 2002, barely a decade after becoming an independent nation. They did so again eight years later, when they qualified for the 2010 World Cup, defeating favorites Romania and Russia in the play-offs. In their very first campaign, they lost all three group games against Spain, Paraguay and South Africa.
Their second campaign was a little better as it brought them their first ever World Cup victory when they beat Algeria 1-0. After going 2-0 up against USA, they ended up drawing the game 2-2 and missed a golden opportunity to reach the last 16. In their final game against England, although they lost 1-0, they harbored hopes of qualifying for the next round, but USA win over Algeria meant that, they were denied a momentous march into the second round.
2. Northern Ireland
Although the country has produced plenty of footballing legends, the most famous of which is George Best, Northern Ireland, at least in terms of size and population is one of the smallest nations to have qualified for the World Cup. With a population of just 1.8 million, they have actually qualified for the World Cup thrice. They managed that feat for the first time in 1958 in Sweden, when they achieved their best result till date, as they reached the quarter finals by making it out of a tough group which contained Czechoslovakia, Argentina and reigning World Champions West Germany.
Although they lost to Argentina, they drew with West Germany and victory over Czechoslovakia meant that they finished the group in second place. Their fairytale was ended in the quarterfinal as they were thumped 4-0 by France. In 1982, after surprising everyone by beating Spain, they topped the group and got through. However, their path was blocked again by France, who beat them again. Their third trip, four years later, wasn’t as lucky as they didn’t even win a single game as they lost to Spain and Brazil and could only manage a draw against Algeria to show for their efforts.
1. Trinidad and Tobago
The smallest ever nation to qualify for the World Cup, the team whose record that Iceland are trying to beat is Trinidad and Tobago. With a population of just about 1.3 million, Trinidad and Tobago made history when they qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Although they started their campaign really well against Sweden with a 0-0 draw, they went onto lost their next two games and finished at the bottom of the group.
Although they have played three games, they are yet to score a goal in the World Cup and with the CONCACAF region getting even more difficult to get through. It is unlikely that Trinidad are ever going to change that record. But, in football, you can never say never and that is why the Trinidadians will be hoping for their day in the sun will arrive, before too long.
