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Paul Toussaint, a Haitian chef in Montreal, tells The National about the moment he watched his home country make it to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.
A combination of the newly expanded format and the host countries means that World Cup 2026 could be an underdog’s dream.
Just last month, the tiny island nation of Curaçao, with a population of about 156,000, became the smallest country ever to qualify for this marquee event. The former Dutch colony takes that record from Iceland, which had a population of just over 350,000 when it qualified in 2018.
Curaçao qualified after a 0-0 draw against Jamaica, using a team heavily built with players born and raised in the Netherlands. It has actively recruited from its diaspora after getting permission from FIFA within world soccer’s rules to change the national-team eligibility of five players since August.
Cape Verde, with a population of roughly 525,000, also qualified for the first time this year — the second-least populous country to do so. The former Portuguese colony also turned to its diaspora for recruitment.
Haiti is another notable underdog, qualifying for the first time since 1974 despite significant domestic turmoil and the lack of a usable home stadium.
Coach Sébastien Migné has managed some of his players from abroad, as Haiti’s main airport has regularly been shut down in a country where armed gangs control up to 90 per cent of its capital, Port-au-Prince. The team also played all its home games in Curaçao, as it was too dangerous to do so in Haiti.
Other first-time entrants include Jordan and Uzbekistan, while New Caledonia and Suriname are still in the hunt for a qualifying spot.