Nation With Smaller Population Than Birmingham Qualify for World Cup
A nation that has less population than Birmingham has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history.
In 2026, the World Cup will take place across the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
The tournament will last more than a month, with the first match taking place on June 11 before the final is held on July 19.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, countries across the globe have been taking part in qualifying rounds in order to secure their place in football's most prestigious tournament.
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So far, teams such as holders Argentina, five-time winners Brazil, Japan, Egypt and Ghana have all qualified.
Meanwhile, the likes of Spain, England, France and Germany are all poised to secure their place in next summer's big event.
On Monday, one of the smallest nations on planet earth booked their spot at the 2026 World Cup.
Cape Verde, ranked 70th in the world, has a population that is smaller than Birmingham's, but the island's football team is making huge moves on the big stage.
And they beat Eswatini 3-0 to claim their spot at next summer's World Cup.
Dailon Livramento opened the scoring, with Willy Semedo doubling his side's lead. Stopira added a third in stoppage time.
It will be Cape Verde's first appearance at a World Cup, having never qualified before.
Ahead of the crucial match, the government declared a half-day across the nation of around 525,000 to give everyone a chance to witness history.
Journalist Victor Hugo said to FIFA: "Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps, because it’ll be incredible.
"We celebrated 50 years of independence this year, so it’d be incredible to crown that milestone with such a great achievement – reaching the (FIFA) World Cup for the first time."
Cape Verde join the likes of Jordan and Uzbekistan as debutants at the upcoming World Cup.
Nations that have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup:
Canada - Host
Mexico - Host
United States - Host
Japan
New Zealand
Iran
Argentina
Uzbekistan
South Korea
Jordan
Australia
Brazil
Ecuador
Uruguay
Colombia
Paraguay
Morocco
Tunisia
Egypt
Algeria
Ghana
Topics: Football, FIFA World Cup
Marcus Chan