Iceland 2018: when the smallest nation stood up to the giants
With around 340,000 people, Iceland debuted in 2018 and drew with Argentina, saving a Messi penalty. In 2026, Curaçao took its record as the least populous nation.
In 2018, Iceland starred in one of the World Cup's most endearing stories. With barely 340,000 people, it became the least populous country to have qualified for a World Cup, and on its very first appearance.
Its debut was one for the ages: on 16 June 2018 it drew 1-1 with Messi's Argentina in Moscow. Alfreð Finnbogason scored Iceland's first World Cup goal and, in the 64th minute, goalkeeper Hannes Þór Halldórsson — a filmmaker by profession — saved a penalty from Lionel Messi.
Iceland did not get past the group stage, but it won the world over with its solidity and the «Viking thunderclap», that thunderous, building applause from its fans that had become famous at Euro 2016.
Its feat opened the door for other small nations. In fact, in 2026 Iceland lost its record: Curaçao, with around 156,000 people, qualified and is now the least populous country to reach a World Cup. Iceland, though, remains the smallest sovereign nation to have done so.
Iceland's story proves that, in football, the size of a country does not always determine the size of its dreams.
Source: Wikipedia (Iceland at the FIFA World Cup; Curaçao national football team).