2026 World Cup expands to 48 teams, opening door for island minnows Curaçao and Cabo Verde
Soccer's World Cup grows to 48 teams for the first time in 2026, allowing small island nations Curaçao and Cabo Verde to compete on the global stage for the first time ever.
Soccer's World Cup will undergo one of its most radical transformations in 2026, when the tournament expands from 32 to 48 teams—a historic shift that opens the door for nations long excluded from the sport's biggest stage.
Starting June 11 in Mexico City, the expanded format will run for 39 days and feature 104 matches, making it the longest and largest World Cup ever held. The restructuring has enabled several "minnow nations" to qualify for the first time: Uzbekistan, Jordan, Haiti (returning after 1974), and two small Caribbean and Atlantic island states that have captured particular international attention.
A Caribbean first
Curaçao, a former Dutch colony with a population of around 156,000, will make its maiden World Cup appearance—and holds the distinction of being the smallest nation ever to participate in the tournament. The island's qualification was confirmed after a draw against Jamaica in November 2025, sparking widespread celebration across the territory.
The composition of Curaçao's squad reveals how island nations navigate competitive soccer. The entire starting lineup from the Jamaica qualifier was born and raised in the Netherlands, eligible to play through family ties. Tahith Chong, who plays for Sheffield United in the English second tier, is the only squad member born in Curaçao itself.
Curaçao's place in the tournament marks a watershed moment for the island, though the road ahead looms formidable.
The island has limited experience against elite sides. A 2023 friendly against current world champions Argentina ended in a 7-0 defeat. Curaçao's opening match, against tenth-ranked Germany in Houston on June 14, presents another steep test.
West African entry
Cabo Verde (formerly Cape Verde), an island state off West Africa's coast with a population around 525,000, is also preparing for its first World Cup. Like Curaçao, its soccer story is shaped by colonial legacy—the nation gained independence from Portugal in 1975—and draws heavily on diaspora players.
In Cabo Verde's final two qualifying matches, 14 of 25 players called up were born and raised outside the country, part of the wider Cabo Verdean diaspora. The squad benefits from stronger exposure to competitive international soccer through its affiliation with the Confederation of African Football. To qualify, Cabo Verde beat Cameroon, a nation with a storied World Cup pedigree that reached the quarter-finals in 1990.
Yet when Cabo Verde faces second-ranked Spain in Atlanta on June 15, it will confront a new level of challenge. According to the reporting, this represents uncharted territory for the island nation.
The expansion debate
The 48-team format reflects FIFA's vision of a tournament that better represents global soccer and capitalizes on the sport's growth beyond traditional powerhouses. Advocates argue the expanded format allows more countries to compete on the world's biggest stage. Critics counter that the restructuring risks diluting the quality and intensity that defined the 32-team era.
For Curaçao and Cabo Verde, however, the expansion represents something beyond sporting debate: historical inclusion in the competition that defines global soccer prestige.