Curaçao, Cape Verde show how even smallest nations can succeed in FIFA World Cup
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- Cape Verde was the smallest country by land area ever to qualify for a World Cup.
- Curaçao broke that record five weeks later and debuted against Germany.
- Eloy Room made 15 saves in Curaçao’s 0-0 draw with Ecuador in Kansas City.
Four countries have played their very first FIFA World Cup soccer matches during this year’s tournament. And the smallest debutants have imprinted their mark without winning a match.
Cape Verde and Curaçao are the tiniest nations to play in a World Cup, ever — and they share strikingly similar stories.
Cape Verde, or Cabo Verde in the country’s native Portuguese tongue, set the record for the smallest country by land mass to qualify for a World Cup. Curaçao broke the mark five weeks later.
Cape Verde made a splash with its first match against Spain, holding the powerhouse to a 0-0 draw. The African nation was led by its defense and heroic feats of veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who had seven saves. The 40-year-old is the oldest player to feature in a nation’s first World Cup match.
And that was a record set the day before by 37-year-old Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room, when Room’s national team debuted against Germany in a 7-1 defeat. The equalizing goal from rising star midfielder Livano Comenencia, in the 21st minute, was the highlight of the Blue Wave’s match, and tournament, to date.
Then the Caribbean island nation came to Kansas City on Saturday and held favored Ecuador to a 0-0 draw — led by a record-breaking performance in goal by Room.
Room made 15 saves against an Ecuador squad that unleashed 27 shots and had an expected-goal rate of 2.84. His 15 saves were the most in a World Cup match since USA’s Tim Howard tallied 16 in 2014, the all-time record.
The Blue Wave managed to get off 10 shots, with three on target. It took a lot for the squad of Dutch-born players to make it to the World Cup; most of the roster selected to play for the country thanks to their ancestry.
To players like attacker Tahith Chong, the match felt every bit like a draw. But to Room, a draw has never felt so much like a win.
“It means everything,” said Room, who also plays for Miami FC in the USL Championship in America. “It’s the first point in the World Cup for us, so it’s unreal.”
So now the small islands band together; several Curacao players said they are rooting for Cape Verde because they are the biggest underdogs of the tournament. Room, who won the 2020 MLS Cup with Columbus, said he keeps in touch with former Crew teammate and Cape Verde defender Steven Moreira.
And Room found some inspiration in Vozinha’s performance.
“We support each other, we are small islands,” Room said. “Of course, that’s also the game of the goalkeeper. So I was like, ‘I can do that, too, you know.’ So I think I showed today that I can also do it.”
Curaçao has one last chance to make it out of Group E against Ivory Coast on Thursday. The islanders remain in last place in their group, with one point, and could need a win to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
Cape Verde is in the same boat but faces Uruguay in a crucial second group-stage match on Sunday. In that group, each team has one point.
The small island teams have debuted in the first year of the expanded 48-team World Cup field. This has led to some criticism regarding which nations should be in the tournament.
For their part, Curaçao’s players said they seek to perform well and showcase their country — not prove doubters wrong.
But they will enjoy that along the journey, too.
“It’s just amazing that we, as Curacao and Cape Verde, can reach this,” Comenencia said. “And if we actually perform as well, then ... nobody can say something against us. We are not just playing, we are performing as well.”
