Dick Advocaat's Curacao become smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup

A 0-0 draw with Jamaica in the early hours of Wednesday morning was enough to top their qualification group and secure a spot at next summer's tournament.

Curacao are led by former Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat but he missed the final game for personal reasons.

The record for the smallest nation to appear at a World Cup was held by Iceland - a population of approximately 350,000 people when they reached the finals in 2018.

But it's an accolade now claimed by Curacao, whose population of 155,000 is similar to that of Blackpool or Ipswich.

And for Advocaat, he's set for his own personal record. At the age of 78, he will become the oldest manager to lead a team at a World Cup.

The result condemned Jamaica to the play-offs, although their boss Steve McClaren resigned after full-time, saying: "Over the last 18 months I have given everything I have to this job."

"Leading this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career.

"But football is a results business and tonight we have fallen short of our goal, which was to qualify from this group.

"It is the responsibility of the leader to step forward, take accountability and make decisions in the best interests of the team."

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